sophist
English
Etymology
Learned borrowing from Latin sophista, also sophistes, itself borrowed from Ancient Greek σοφιστής (sophistḗs, “pursuer of wisdom”), from σοφίζομαι (sophízomai, “to become wise”).
Pronunciation
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Noun
sophist (plural sophists)
- One of a class of teachers of rhetoric, philosophy, and politics in ancient Greece.
- (loosely) A teacher who used plausible but fallacious reasoning.
- (loosely, by extension) One who is captious, fallacious, or deceptive in argument.
- Synonym: logic chopper
- (dated) Alternative form of sophister (“university student who has completed at least one year”)
Usage notes
- The meaning of "sophist" can vary depending on the time period to which one is referring. A sophist of the earliest period was a master in his art or craft who demonstrated (taught by example) his practical skill/learning in exchange for pay. Later sophists were providers of a well-rounded education intended to give pupils arete – "virtue, human excellence". By late antiquity, sophistḗs / sophistes tended to denote exclusively a skilled public speaker and/or teacher of rhetoric.[1][2]
Related terms
Translations
ancient teacher of rhetoric, etc.
|
one who is captious, fallacious, or deceptive in argument
References
- ^ Dictionary of Philosophy, Dagobert D. Runes (ed.), Philosophical Library, 1962. See: "Sophists" by Max Fishler, p. 295.
- ^ "History of the name ‘Sophist’," Encyclopedia Britannica at www.britannica.com.
Categories:
- English terms borrowed from Latin
- English learned borrowings from Latin
- English terms derived from Latin
- English terms derived from Ancient Greek
- English 2-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English countable nouns
- English dated terms
- en:People
- en:Philosophy
- en:Rhetoric
- en:Ancient Greece