sophist

A sophist was a professional teacher in ancient Greece who offered instruction in rhetoric, argumentation, and public life for a fee, chiefly in 5th century BCE Athens. The term derives from Greek sophistēs, meaning wise man, and originally signified respected teachers. Sophists traveled widely, teaching skills valuable for participation in law courts and assemblies, including grammar, logic, and persuasive speaking.

Their approach emphasized practical success over pursuit of universal truth. They trained citizens to argue effectively and to present persuasive cases, sometimes regardless of objective conclusions. Protagoras is associated with relativistic claims such as "Man is the measure of all things." Other notable sophists included Gorgias, Hippias, Prodicus, and Isocrates.

Socrates and Plato criticized the sophists for prioritizing rhetoric over truth and for teaching virtue as a teachable commodity. The label "sophist" acquired a pejorative sense in later Greek and Western usage, referring to clever but deceptive argument or specious reasoning.

Despite criticisms, sophists contributed to the development of rhetoric, pedagogy, and political theory, shaping education and public discourse in antiquity. The word "sophist" remains in modern usage to denote someone who uses clever but unsound reasoning.