Question

One of the leading Sophists, Protagoras, claimed that "Of all things the measure is Man, of the things that are, that they are, and of the things that are not, that they are not." What is Protagoras saying here? What would Socrates say in response to Protagoras? What do you think about Protagoras' provocative claim? Please present arguments, evidence, and/or examples that support the answers you give.

Answer 1

Sophist in Greece was the special kind of teachers who use to make a good point about an issue, even though they knew that it is false.

Sophist was skeptical about God's existence, Protagoras was also a sophist. Protagoras was the teacher of wealthy communities he uses to teach them how to argue in the courtroom.

Protagoras claimed that "Of all things, the measure is Man, of the things that are, that they are, and of the things that are not, that they are not." gives the meaning that man is the main character, it depends upon how an individual learns from experience, makes his judgment and interpret it. That gives insight into his thinking that a person who can argue well on a certain issue in the courtroom can change the judgment because the judgment is based on the argument. His teachings were based on personal affairs and politics, and the system of criminal justice at that time was formed to reform and the one who could fight his case in a better way was the winner.

Socrates' reply t Protagoras says that man is ignorant, and it is not a shame to accept it. Socrates' answer uses to be short and to the points, while Protagoras’s answers were lengthy and argument. According to Socrates the only drawback with an individual is lack of knowledge, if one has the knowledge then there will not be ignorant, Ignorant is the cause of behaving badly and not understanding the true meaning.

Protagoras' arguments were based on the courtroom scenario that means the one who can make wrong look right would win the case in his favor, although man knows that what he has got "that are not, that they are not." that means as per Socrates the ignorance would win over judgment.

Protagoras' provocative claim says that the person who can argue an issue in an impressive way can twist the judgment in his favor. Along the same line, he claims that he does not know whether God exists or not or if he exists than in what form because Socrates who did not believe in multiple Gods of Athena believes in supernatural power and he always referred to it as God and not Gods