Protagoras · Philosophy

Truth, Flux, and Appearance

Protagoras’ relativism rests on a picture of a world in flux, perceived by perceivers who are themselves changing, so that perception is always an interaction yielding truth-for-each. Plato linked this to Heraclitus’ doctrine that all things flow - and argued that on such a view, no stable truth, not even Protagoras’ own, can be stated.

What you'll be able to recall

You learned that Protagoras’ relativism was linked (by Plato) to the Heraclitean doctrine that all things are in flux: since both the perceived object and the perceiving subject are constantly changing, perception is an interaction between them, and what is perceived exists only in that fleeting meeting - true for tha…

Leads to Heraclitus.

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