부산대학교 도서관

This paper examines the reason Isocrates (BC. 436-388) has not been considered a philosopher in the history of western philosophy. Although Isocrates claimed that he had dedicated his life to exercising philosophy, he has been labeled a mere rhetorician (rhêtôr), speech writer (logographos), or even sophist (sophistês), instead of a philosopher. In order to understand why Isocrates is not known and respected as a philosopher, we need to understand what makes the philosophy and a philosopher. However, the appropriate question is not "What is the philosoohy?" Instead we should inquire "What was the philosophy?" formulated in past tense. The resulting insights can serve as the foundation for establishing what philosophy both can be and should be. First, in order to understand what the philosophy was, the culture of philosophy’s etymological root (philosophia) must be explored, i.e. the Ancient Greek world. Ancient Greece’s three most famous philosophers of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, are also joined by Isocrates. The former three thinkers defined philosophy as the love (philein) of wisdom (sophia), the desire to reach true knowledge through the search for truth. For them, discourse (logos) was a path to the truth. On the other hand, personal opinion (doxa) cannot guarantee the objective and absolute truth. Isocrates was distinct in that he didn’t consider philosophy the pursuit of truth, but education to raise the capacity for making appropriate decisions in a tangibly real situation. In Isocrates’ teachings, discourse (logos) is an instrument to communicate in human society rather than a way to reach the truth. This is because, for Isocrates, it is an abstract and empty effort to search only for absolute truths. In his mind, philosophy’s main function was to provide the rhetorical ability that allowed citizens to live as free men within the city-state (polis). But today, the philosophy is defined according to the Socratic, Platonic and Aristotelian line as the knowledge of the primitive cause (aitia) and principle (archê), while the Isocratic concept of philosophy was omitted from the tradition of western philosophy. As skepticism and critical reflection on the search for absolute truth continues, respect for diverse opinions and perspectives, as well as their peaceful coexistence and democratic communication, have already become more important than at any other time. An investigation of what philosophy was is an appropriate task before examining the potential future of philosophy. Through considering Ancient Greek philosophy anew, an understanding of Isocrates can shed light on a direction that is distinct from the one inherited from Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle.