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Philosopher
A thinker representing the sophists of ancient Greece. He is known for the saying, ``Man is the measure of all things,'' and he reconsidered the nature of knowledge and debate. This book will help you understand the meaning of debate and education in a democratic society.
View in catalogAbdera
Birth
Athens
Work
Sophistic movement
450 BC–420 BC
Movement · Participant
Map: Natural Earth (PD)
He was born in Abdera on the Thracian coast and traveled throughout Greece doing educational work. He gained attention as an intellectual who taught oratory in the Athenian democratic society.
He showed a philosophy that emphasized human judgment and relativity rather than absolute truth. He provided oratory as an education and taught the power of words necessary for political participation.
Many of his works have been lost and are only known through citations by later philosophers. It also appeared in Plato's Dialogues, and was remembered for its comparison with Socratic philosophy.
When you study Protagoras, you will see that Greek philosophy revolved not only around the study of nature, but also around language, judgment, and education in democratic politics. You can understand the history of ideas by linking them to changes in political society. We can also see the relationship between education and political participation.
