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Plato Ethical Realist Ethical Objectivist Ethical Absolutist
Pericles (Περικλῆς) c. 495 – 429 B.C.E.
Pericles
Golden Age of Pericles
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Ancient Athens
The Acropolis with Parthenon
Parthenon
Parthenon
Detail of Parthenon
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Statue of Athena in Parthenon
Statue of Athena in Parthenon
Theatre in Athens
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Theatre in Athens
Theatre in Athens
Pericles
The Peloponnesian War The Peloponnesian War
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Sophist
―Sophist‖ means ―wise one‖!
Sophist
Or ―wise guy‖!
There are no schools, no universities yet!
People of Athens
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So the wealthy hire us Sophists as tutors for their sons.
We teach them mathematics, law, rhetoric, logic, and politics.
Man is the measure of all Things.
Protagoras (Πρωταγόρας) c. 490 - c. 420 BCE
Of the things that are, that they are.
Of the things that are not, that they are not.
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Do I mean ―Mankind‖ or ―each individual man‖ is the measure of all things?
You be the measure!
I’ve got three things to say.
Gorgias (Γοργίας) 483-375 B.C.E.
First, nothing exists!
Second, even if something did exist, you couldn’t know it!
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Third, even if you could know that something exists, no one would believe you!
So there!
We sophists have been all over the known world, and we see that everything is relative!
For instance, we cremate the dead in Athens, but the Callatians eat their dead!
So, you see, it’s all relative!
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Socrates (Σωκράτης ) c. 470 – 399 B.C.E.
Socrates
Socrates
I don’t know anything.
Mars Hill
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I just ask very important people . . .
. . . very embarrassing questions . . .
. . . that make them very angry!
Like, what is Man?
Like, what is Beauty?
Like, what is Truth?
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Like, what is Justice?
When people try to answer my...