Protagoras (ca. 490–420 BCE)

AbstractProtagoras was a Presocratic Greek philosopher and founder of sophistic education whose doctrine of skepticism is criticized by Socrates in the Platonic dialogues. Believed to have been born in Abdera, Thrace, Protagoras was educated in philosophy by Democritus, a natural scientist and theorist of atomism. Aside from his career as a teacher, little is known concerning his life or career beyond brief biographical sketches provided by Diogenes Laertius and Sextus Empiricus. During his time in Athens, Protagoras associated with Pericles and other elites while composing a number of treatises on subjects ranging from the art of dialectic argument to wrestling. Diogenes has suggested that Protagoras was invited by Pericles to draft a constitution for the Athenian colony of Thurii in 443 bce. Protagoras’ professed agnosticism caused him to be expelled from Athens, and though tradition holds that his books were publicly burned, contemporary scholars have cast doubt on this claim. He died in exile.