Socrates & his project and Sophists” and their project

  Compare (similarities) & contrast (differences) Gaarder’s understanding of (a) the Socrates & his project with (b) that of the “Sophists” and their project. Around 600 B.C.E “Draconian Rule” is eliminated and Athens began slowly moving towards democracy. By 500 B.C.E. Greece’s wars with Persia bring the famous battles of Marathon & Thermopylae. Afterwards, the so called “Golden Age of Athens” emerges and Socrates turns philosophy towards questions of our humanity, our place in society, and other human relationships. As democracy grows, a relatively “educated populace” (of Greek citizens, at least) is needed for them to make reasonable democratic decisions. In this context, two approaches came to be well-known: Socrates with his “Socratic Method” and a group of thinkers who were known as “Sophists”.