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rchapman
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Who were the sophists? (Members Video)

Hey all, here's another mini vid. I'm in the middle of one of the more research-intensive projects comparing American and Athenian democracy, and thought I'd make this as a supplement and a sort of warm-up. I initially planned for it to be around 4 minutes, but the more I read about them, the more material I wanted to include, and it started to resemble a main channel vid. I limited myself to just producing it for a single day, and ended up with a 7.5 min vid that's something in between. Let me know what you think.

On a broader note, these videos have been fun and fairly easy to make on the side (relative to my regular channel's work), so I think I'll keep making them when I'm able to. It seems like you guys are also appreciating them, so I think I'll let the rest of my audience know about them on my channel soon with a little vid announcing that I've been making these. I wanted to get a few under my belt and figure out if this format works/is worth the time before I did that. So if that all works out hopefully you guys will have some more company on here soon.

Hope you guys had a great New Year's, and thanks as always for your support! 

- Ryan

Comments

while i can understand the appeal for wanting to root for the sophists as underdogs, i think plato thoroughly debunks them as demagogues. plato's gorgias provides the best counter to sophists, comparing them to pastries versus medicine, junk food for the soul rather than moral sustenance. sophists have no regard for the truth, only winning the argument.

brandon

So the clever thinking people were banished because they didn't subscribe to the common religion ? Now where do we see people trying to get that happening again.

Ma

Thank you for being my new favorite teacher!

Lori Rodgers

Are you a Sophist? ;-)

Brian Holland

A couple of reads that caught my attention: The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli and A Dialogue in Hell between Machiavelli and Montesquieu by Maurice Joly.

josh roberts

You should do something on the Stoics and the Epicureans.

Fred Heiser

Interesting the similar dynamic between social and religious conformists and intellectual elites so long ago.

Mella

They drowned him? Cancel Culture was brutal back then.

Christopher D Carello

Fantastic! Shockingly to myself, this is the first time that I've heard of the term. I guess I need to go back and study the classics haha

Nathan Bergeron

Fascinating. I had nothing but negative ideas about sophists until this video. Thank you!

Shauna Salter

Fantastic work, Ryan. Keep'em coming :D

Moritz

Great format, good work and thank you. Peace be unto you.

martin warner

Great stuff!

smef

Excellent. Really enjoy your work, Ryan.

JOHN H WATKINS JR


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