Introduction

Sophistry is arguing badly on purpose, trying to pull the wool over people's eyes by weaving a web of confusing and misleading words. Sophists play a major role in several other dialogues, including what i personally consider to be plato's two greatest dialogues, the republic and theaetetus. A truly great philosopher benefits from a truly provocative opponent. There's no greater philosopher than plato, and he got the most cative opponent he could have asked for in the shape of the sophists. To understand plato, we need to understand the sophists,. And to understanding the sophists, we needs to understand a little bit about athens in the fifth century b