Plato's Pod: The Sophist (part 1, to 235(d))

The word “sophist” may have disappeared from general use today, but we can still see many examples of people who exhibit the six characteristics of sophistry described by Plato in the first part of The Sophist that we will discuss (to 235(d)).
How do we distinguish real expertise and knowledge from imitation, to identify ignorance and logical inconsistencies among sophists who claim to be wise – particularly in matters of virtue? The question may be more important now than ever, as technology drives increasing complexity and rapid change in our lives and we rely on the knowledge of “experts”. In The Sophist, Plato presents the soul’s search for truth as if in a marketplace of knowledge produced and acquired, and provides a method to identify the worthless offerings on sale either for either money or persuasion.
What do we think of Plato’s process, to “chase a thing through both the particular and the general” in a continuous logical division of expertise into opposite types? Here we might explore themes from our recent discussions on the dialogues Phaedo and Philebus, that if particular objects of knowledge come to be in opposites we can distinguish same from different and the logical equivalence of the general category to which they belong. We can then consider a practical application of this method, in determining the value we are willing to give for the expertise claimed by others.
In our next session on The Sophist we will consider the application of the method of continuous division in distinguishing the being of a thing from its non-being, and Plato’s theory of Forms as it relates to truth in knowledge.
Our discussion can go anywhere the group wishes, for which some suggested themes will be offered. Wherever our discussion leads, Plato, without a doubt, would have imagined no better way than in dialogue for knowledge – the account of the reasons why – to multiply its connections. We welcome the sharing of all perspectives, whether you are new to or experienced with Plato. Recordings of our previous episodes are at https://open.spotify.com/show/53Zvjr7avMylQgNqfqBxlk?si=ksA1Hp7TQn6BwghRqI26GA&dl_branch=1 and other popular podcast platforms.
This episode will be recorded in voice only without video, using first name as it appears on your screen profile, and podcast for those who would like to share in our knowledge. After the recording ends, participants are welcome to remain for a half hour of “Plato’s Café”, a casual discussion of your choice of themes from any of Plato’s works, or philosophy in general.
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APPROXIMATELY ONE WEEK BEFORE THE MEETUP: Please visit https://1drv.ms/u/s!AqvPwkIofv4UaFldrPpbva3VSXI?e=3Y7PjP for questions and themes that we might address, as well as those explored in our previous meetups. We will also post the reading list for our next meeting which will generally be scheduled every two weeks on Sunday at 10 a.m. eastern. During our dialogue, participants are encouraged to relate their comments to Plato's text, referring to the Stephanus number for the passage so others can follow in the reading. Participants are also encouraged to read the text aloud for the meaning of the written word to resonate.
There are many translations of Plato's works available, of varying quality. Your public library will have multiple editions. A free translation of The Sophist is available at https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/1735, although lacking in explanatory notes and passage reference numbers that would be useful for our discussion. Participants in our entire series might be interested in purchasing Plato: Complete Works (https://www.amazon.ca/Plato-Complete-Works/dp/0872203492/).
The Meetup will take place on Zoom. Please RSVP to access the Zoom link at your Meetup account.