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Anaxagoras
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Anaxagoras (c. 500 – c. 428 BCE) was an early Greek philosopher from Clazomenae, Ionia. He is conventionally counted among the Presocratic philosophers, although his philosophical activity extended well into the period dominated by the Sophists and the early career of Socrates. Anaxagoras introduced significant cosmological theories, most notably the concept of Nous (Mind)/) as th…
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Classical Greece
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The Sophists and Socrates
The Sophists, traveling teachers such as Protagoras and Gorgias, emphasized rhetoric and persuasive argumentation. Their relativistic approach—epitomized by Protagoras's dictum that "Man is the measure of all things"—challenged established metaphysical truths. Socrates (c. 470–399 BCE) utilized rigorous cross-examination (the elenchus) to expose intellectual inconsistency, famously leading to his conviction on charges of … -
Classical Period
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The Sophists and Socrates
The Sophists, itinerants focused on rhetoric and persuasive argumentation, challenged traditional notions of objective truth. Protagoras's maxim, "Man is the measure of all things," encapsulated this relativistic turn. Socrates (c. 470–399 BCE) countered this trend by emphasizing rigorous self-examination and dialectic ($\text{elenchus}$) as the path to virtue, despite his documented lack of formal wri… -
Intellectual Rigor
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Historical Context and Early Conceptualization
The formalization of intellectual rigor is commonly traced to the Hellenistic period, though antecedent concepts appear in various pre-Socratic schools. The Sophists often employed rigorous rhetorical techniques, but their objectives were frequently persuasive rather than truth-seeking, leading later Platonic schools to view Sophistry as a distortion of true rigor.
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Unwritten Doctrines
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Scholarly Debate and Authenticity
The authenticity of the Agrapta Dogmata remains fiercely debated. Skeptics argue that the doctrines are an elaborate retroactive philosophical justification for the inherent secrecy of certain Platonic pedagogical methods, designed to elevate Socrates above rivals like the Sophists. Conversely, proponents point to the consistent recurring motifs across disparate, isolated oral traditions—such as the precise numerical value assigned to the 'N…