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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Against the Sophists is among the few Isocratic speeches that have survived from Ancient Greece. This polemical text was Isocrates attempt to define Isocrates educational doctrine and to separate himself from the multitudes of other teachers of rhetoric. Isocrates was a sophist, an identity which carried the same level of negative connotation as it does now. Many of the sophistic educators were characterized as deceitful because they were more concerned with making a profit from teaching persuasive trickery than of producing quality orators that would promote Athenian democracy. Isocrates was more concerned with the latter of these objectives and sought to separate himself from these less reputable sophistic teachers. After opening his school around 393 or 392 BCE, Isocrates wrote Against the Sophists to clearly distinguish his teaching methods from the commonly held view of sophistic education.[1]
General Analysis
Isocrates' Criticism of the Sophists
Isocrates begins his speech by defining the typical characteristics of most sophist teachers. He makes seven clear accusations about what is wrong with their instructional methods. The first accusation is that sophists make big promises that they cannot fulfill, especially relating to having the ability to teach virtue and justice. The inconsistency between what the sophists claim to teach and their actual ability is Isocrates second point. They claim to teach qualities they do not possess themselves, namely truth, happiness and justice. His third accusation expands this point by demonstrating that despite claiming to teach such invaluable virtues and the wonderful art of oratory, sophists only charge minute prices for the instruction (three or four minae). In Isocrates fourth charge he establishes that if these teachers were actually capable of teaching virtue and justice, then they would have no issue trusting their students. Yet they insist on receiving advanced payment for their services, which clearly demonstrates their lack of genuine confidence either in their students or in their own teaching abilities. Isocrates fifth accusation connects the sophists inability to teach oratory correctly and their lack of rhetorical knowledge. He asserts that these sophists do not have enough respect for the art of discourse to actually spend the time studying it thoroughly, and because they lack solid understanding of the art, they teach it incorrectly. Isocrates sixth claim condemns the techn pushed by these teachers and states that they are applying the analogy of an art with hard and fast rules to a creative process (sec. 12).[2] Isocrates explains how much easier it is to teach a man a few universal rules and rhetorical tricks rather than teaching him to apply the true basis of speech -- timeliness (kairos), appropriateness (to prepon), and originality.[3] To justify the importance of distinguishing himself from other sophists, Isocrates final accusation proclaims that the bad repute which results therefrom does not affect the offenders only, but that all the rest of us who are in the same profession share in the opprobrium (sec. 11). In other words, through their mediocre and deceitful practices, these sophists give a bad reputation to all teachers of oratory.
Conclusion
Against the Sophists ends with Isocrates claim that while he cannot teach ethics and create virtuous character (arte), the study of discourse has the nearest potential to develop this capacity in its students. While this is not a particularly conclusive ending to the speech, Isocrates did go on to write the Antidosis in 353 BC, which is a significantly longer speech that expands Isocrates thoughts on discourse and its instruction.
Criticism
Connections between Against the Sophists and Plato's Gorgias
Among many other reasons, scholars have placed Against the Sophists as being written in 393 BCE because of its relation to Plato's dialogue, Gorgias. It is assumed that when there are similarities in language found in the two works, Plato is responding to Isocrates.[5] Yun Lee Too highlights specific examples. When talking about the use of third parties by sophists to handle payment because they do not trust their pupils, Isocrates says, But men who inculcate virtue and sobriety-is it not absurd if they do not trust in their own students before all others? (se c. 6). A similarity to this can be found in Plato's Gorgias. While also talking about the mistrust by sophists concerning payment, Socrates says to Callicles, people who've become good and just, whose injustice has been removed by their teacher and who have come to possess justice should wrong him-something they can't do? Don't you think that's absurd my friend? (519d).[6] It seems that Plato is echoing Against the Sophists by, criticising them for demanding deposits against their fees since this undermines their promise to make their students just.[5] Another similarity in language is found in both Plato's and Isocrates' discussions of the state of the mind or soul necessary for a good orator. Isocrates says of qualities of being
a good orator, these things, I hold, require much study and are the task of a vigorous and imaginative mind (sec. 17). Yun Lee Too says that this is what is called Isocrates doxastic soul or the soul with an aptitude for determining doxa, or the common opinion.[5] Plato uses comparable language when he writes Socrates as saying, I think there's a practice...that a mind given to making hunches takes to, a mind that's bold and naturally clever at dealing with people (463a). Yun Lee Too posits that Plato evolved Isocrates' doxastic soul into Plato's own stochastic soul, or one with a shrewd ability for guess-work.[5]
Notes
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. ^ Kennedy (1999) ^ Isocrates (2000). p. 171 sec. 12. ^ Too (1995) ^ Bizzell(1990). p. 52. ^ a b c d Too(1995). p. 153 ^ Plato (1987). p. 103 sec. 519d.
References
Bizzell, Patricia, and Bruce Herzberg. The Rhetorical Tradition: Readings from Classical times to the Present. Boston: Bedford of St. Martin's, 1990 Isocrates. Isocrates Cambridge: Harvard UP, 2000 Plato. Gorgias Indianapolis: Hackett Pub., 1987 Too, Yun Lee. The Rhetoric of Identity in Isocrates: Text, Power, Pedagogy. Cambridge [England]: Cambridge UP, 1995