Philo of Alexandria on the Difference between Philosophers and Sophists

“It is no small or easy task to define clearly the nature of a sophist” (Plato, Soph. 217b). Indeed, the definition of a sophist in antiquity appears to change and differ depending on the author and with regard to the topic. This paper investigates the different ways that Philo depicts sophists and...

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Bibliographic Details
Subtitles:SPECIAL SECTION: PHILO’S DE CHERUBIM
Main Author: Adams, Sean A. 1981- (Author)
Format: Print Article
Language:English
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Interlibrary Loan:Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany)
Published: 2023
In: The studia Philonica annual
Year: 2023, Volume: 35, Pages: 211-228
Description
Summary:“It is no small or easy task to define clearly the nature of a sophist” (Plato, Soph. 217b). Indeed, the definition of a sophist in antiquity appears to change and differ depending on the author and with regard to the topic. This paper investigates the different ways that Philo depicts sophists and sophistry in his writings with particular attention to how he contrasts this group with philosophers and wisdom. I begin by providing a close reading of Cher. 3–10, looking to understand Philo’s arguments through connections to his wider corpus. The second half of the paper outlines the comparison...
ISSN:1052-4533
Contains:Enthalten in: The studia Philonica annual