The Ancient Greek Sophists kickstarted moral philosophy in the West with the provocative idea of relativism: that there is no objective right and wrong. Plato formulated and refuted the relativism of the Sophist Protagoras in his dialogue Theatetus, and this engagement remains arguably the most interesting discussion of relativism in the history of philosophy. If relativism is demonstrably false, why is it still interesting? Is there still truth that we can take away from it?

Professor Katja Vogt (Columbia), a specialist in ancient philosophy and ethics, led a seminar on Plato’s discussion of Protagorean relativism for the Morningside Institute on October 13, 2021. Join us for the rest of our seminars on relativism this semester here: https://www.morningsideinstitute.org/wrestling-with-relativism.