Isocrates
Against the Sophists

"If all who are engaged in the profession of education were willing to state the facts instead of making greater promises than they can possibly fulfill, they would not be in such bad repute with the lay-public. As it is, however, the teachers who do not scruple to vaunt their powers with utter disregard of the truth have created the impression that those who choose a life of careless indolence are better advised than those who devote themselves to serious study.

Indeed, who can fail to abhor, yes to contemn, those teachers, in the first place, who devote themselves to disputation, 1 since they pretend to search for truth, but straightway at the beginning of their professions attempt to deceive us with lies? 2 [2] For I think it is manifest to all that foreknowledge of future events is not vouchsafed to our human nature, but that we are so far removed from this prescience3 that Homer, who has been conceded the highest reputation for wisdom, has pictured even the gods as at times debating among themselves about the future4 --not that he knew their minds but that he desired to show us that for mankind this power lies in the realms of the impossible."

NOTES

1 Captious argumentation in the field of ethics. He is not thinking of Socrates, who did not teach for pay, nor of Plato's dialectic, which was not yet famous, but of the minor Socratics, especially Antisthenes and Eucleides, who taught for money while affecting contempt for it. In general he is thinking of such quibblers as are later shown up in Plato's Euthydemus. See General Introd. pp. xxi ff.

2 Theirs is a cloud morality, not truth to live by on earth. Cf. Isoc. 13.20. See General Introd. p. xxii.

3 There is, according to Isocrates, no "science" which can teach us to do under all circumstances the things which will insure our happiness and success. Life is too complicated for that, and no man can foresee exactly the consequences of his acts--"the future is a thing unseen." All that education can do is to develop a sound judgement (as opposed to knowledge) which will meet the contingencies of life with resourcefulness and, in most cases, with success. This is a fundamental doctrine of his "philosophy" which he emphasizes and echoes again and again in opposition to the professors of a "science of virtue and happiness." See General Introd. pp. xxvii ff.

4 See Hom. Il. 16.431 ff. and Hom. Il. 16.652 ff.; Hom. Il. 22.168 ff.

Further comments from Sir Richard C. Jebb, Selections from the Attic Orators: section 1: alazoneuesthai section 1: tôn peri tas eridas diatrib section 2: bouleuomenous huper autôn section 2: ou tên ekeinôn, k. t. l.

Cross references from Raphael Kühner, Bernhard Gerth, Ausführliche Grammatik der griechischen Sprache (ed. Ildar Ibraguimov):
399 [Gebrauch der Modusformen in den Nebensätzen.]

Preferred URL for linking to this page: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext? lookup=Isoc.+13+1

The Annenberg CPB/Project provided support for entering this text.

This text is based on the following book(s): Isocrates. Isocrates with an English Translation in three volumes, by George Norlin, Ph. D., LL. D. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd.
1980. OCLC: 17454675 ISBN: 0674992318, 0674992520, 0674994116

Commentary on Isocrates, Against the Sophists. section 1. Selections from the Attic Orators Isocrates: Kata tôn sophistôn By Sir Richard C. Jebb,

alazoneuesthai 'As it is, the reckless bragging of impostors has created an impression that the votaries of indolence are better advised than those who give their days to serious study'. rhaithumein -- careless enjoyment, opp. to strenuous preparation (through politikoi logoi) for public life. philosophia, in the special sense of Isocr., is the art of speaking or writing on large political subjects, considered as a preparation for advising or acting in political affairs. See Attic Orators, II. 36, ch. XIII, on his 'Theory of Culture'. The term philosophia was often used at this period, as later, in the general sense of philokalia tis kai diatribê peri logous
(Aristeid. II. 407).

tôn peri tas eridas diatrib including some of the minor Socratics, e. g. Antisthenes and the Cynics, Eucleides and the Megarics -- to whom he alludes again in a later work, the Encomium on Helen, § 1. There, we find a clear allusion to Plato also, as teaching that Valour, Wisdom and Justice form the subject-matter of one science. Here there is prob. no reference to Plato, who at this time (390 B. C.) was perh. not yet conspicuous: in the Panathenaicus (339 B. C.), however, the eristikoi dialogoi named as popular with young men (§ 118) must certainly include the dialogues of Plato.

A Brief Biography of Isocrates.(436 - 338 B. C.)

He was slightly older than Plato and lived and wrote in the same cultural situation: Peloponnesian War, demise of Golden Age, etc.

He was born into the wealthy family of a flute manufacturer and was given the best education available. He studied with a variety of sophists, as well as with Socrates.

His family lost its money in the war, and Isocrates was faced with the dilemma of earning a living. He became a lawyer, a speech writer for the courts, for about ten years. We still have some of the speeches he wrote, although he denies that he ever did this.

He wanted to be an orator, but he lacked the strong voice and stage presence (he had stage fright) to do this, so instead he became a teacher of rhetoric. He was very successful at this and became both rich and famous at it. He attracted students from all over the Greek speaking world, many of whom went on to important leaders of their day.

Isocrates died at the age of 98. According to tradition he committed suicide by starving himself to death upon hearing of Philip's conquest at the Battle of Charonea. This seems unlikely, since he encouraged Philip to do this.

Isocrates' Philosophy He thought the tedious, abstract arguments of Plato about metaphysics, epistemology, axiology and human nature were so much jibberish. He was a practical, down-to- earth man who wanted to solve immediate problems.

Reality is immediate human experience: "What you see is what you get." Metaphysical speculation is a waste of time and energy.

Knowledge is tentative. We can't know anything for sure. What we can have is good opinions. A good opinion is one that helps explain life in a way that helps me get along in the world. Correspondence to ultimate reality is not important.

Values are relative. Isocrates agrees with Plato in promoting traditional Greek values, but he does it for different reasons. Isocrates believes those values are useful, but not necessarily the true values. Plato wanted to develop in the people a passion for those values because they are real and eternal and never changing. Therefore, they could give a unity of purpose and meaning to Athenian life - a reason for living and participating. (Truth, justice and the American way!) Isocrates realized that his relativistic value system did not have the psychological force to draw people together into the common bond of unity and fraternity that would stabilize society. Therefore, he promoted a political ideal which he thought could unify: panhellenism. How could this political ideal be achieved? Only through education. Isocrates, like many modern thinkers, tends to view education as the savior of the world.

Human nature is distinctive because of man's ability to communicate, to speak. It appears as though Isocrates may see this as a quantitative, rather than qualitative difference.