Sophism facts for kids

A sophism can mean two different things. Long ago in Ancient Greece, sophism was taught by sophists. These were teachers of philosophy (the study of knowledge and existence) and rhetoric (the art of speaking or writing effectively). Today, a sophism is a confusing or incorrect argument used to trick or mislead someone.

What Does "Sophism" Mean?

The word "sophism" comes from the Greek word sophisma. This word means "I am wise."

Another Greek word, sophistēs, means "one who is wise" or "one who teaches wisdom for money." The word sophós simply means "wise man."

History of Sophists

The first known sophist was Protagoras, an ancient Greek philosopher (around 490–420 BC). Other famous sophists included Gorgias, Prodicus, Hippias, Thrasymachus, Lycophron, Callicles, Antiphon, and Cratylus.

The famous philosopher Plato did not agree with the sophists. He believed they used their wisdom for their own benefit and did not care about finding the truth or being just.

Sophism Today

Today, the words sophism, sophist, and sophistry are often used in a negative way. This is because many philosophers in the past, like Plato, disagreed with the sophists. Sophism and Platonism were like rivals, often disagreeing with each other.

A sophism is a statement used to trick someone during a debate or conversation. It might sound logical at first but is actually wrong. Sometimes, it uses difficult words and complicated sentences to make people agree without really understanding. An argument ad hominem, which attacks the person instead of their argument, is an example of sophistry.

A sophist is a person who uses these tricky arguments. Sophistry means using sophisms to make arguments that are subtly misleading or deceptive.

See also

In Spanish: Sofista para niños