4 ms·
Sophist means teacher, wisdom [1],[2] kratos means power, or ruling [3] How big is the probability that somebody is named 'ruler of the wise' and then becomes
by s3000 4y ago
Sophist means teacher, wisdom [1],[2]
kratos means power, or ruling [3]
How big is the probability that somebody is named 'ruler of the wise' and then becomes arguably the most influential philosopher of all time?
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophist https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophist
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hagia_Sophia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hagia_Sophia
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristocracy_(class)#Etymology https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristocracy_(class)#Etymology
- philipswood 4y agoPeople with suitable names often seem to be over-represented in a field. Cute, but no one is really sure why. So while his name seems a tad much, that in itself isn't enough to disprove he existed. (This is even more true in cultures where names usually mean something - think Hebrew biblical names)
- marginalia_nu 4y agoDo we know for a fact it was a given name and not a nickname? (also worth mentioning the Cratylus in this discussion; etymology was definitely something these people thought about)
- jasonhansel 4y agoThe first part of the name "Socrates" (Σωκράτης) comes from "sos" (σῶς), meaning "whole," not from "sophos" (σοφός), meaning "wise." You'll note that "Socrates" and "sophos" have different vowel sounds (omicron vs. omega), and that the accented syllable in "sophos" is missing from "Socrates." The "-crates" suffix indeed derives from the word for "power," but it's common in ancient Greek names: Philocrates, Hippocrates, Crates of Thebes, etc.
- s3000 4y agoThanks for the correction.