Abstract

EUSTACCHI, Francesca. Protagoras and Gorgias: masters of virtue?. Educação e Filosofia [online]. 2017, vol.31, n.62, pp.1159-1190.  Epub Mar 09, 2021. ISSN 1982-596X.  https://doi.org/10.14393/revedfil.issn.0102-6801.v31n62a2017-p1159a1190.

The sophistic movement produces an important contribution to the development of the philosophical research in ethical-educational field. Particularly, the sophists focus on the possibility to teach the virtue. Protagoras names himself “teacher of virtue”: he teaches the political art which consists of discerning the useful (not in absolute sense, but in relation to a specific and concrete situation; then, the sophist persuades the polis to accept the useful by means of a convincing rhetorical speech. Gorgias deals with teaching of rhetorical art, but he does not ignore the moral questions: it is necessary to judge the right use of the rhetoric according to circumstances; every action is considered virtuous if it is appropriate in respect of the situation. The sophist makes a list of virtuous behaviours, which are examples for a map of moral act. Both sophists introduce interesting starting points of discussion in a pragmatic and descriptive perspective; therefore Plato compares himself with this sophistic reference point.

Keywords : Protagoras; Gorgias; Kairos; Pragmatism; Virtue; Useful.

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