Protagoras
A leading Sophist, famous for the dictum 'Man is the measure of all things'.
Most quoted
"Concerning the gods, I have no means of knowing whether they exist or not, nor of what sort they may be. For many are the obstacles that prevent knowledge, both the obscurity of the question and the shortness of human life."
— from On the Gods, -440
"Concerning the gods, I have no means of knowing whether they exist or not or of what sort they may be. Many things prevent knowledge including the obscurity of the subject and the brevity of human life."
— from On the Gods
"About the gods I am unable to discover whether they exist or not, or what they are like in form; for there are many hindrances to knowledge: the obscurity of the subject and the shortness of human life."
— from On the Gods
All quotes by Protagoras (151)
Everything is as it appears to each person.
The gods are the invention of the powerful to control the weak.
To know the logos is to know the thing.
The beginning of education is the study of words.
Contradiction is impossible.
The wise man knows that he does not know.
Morality is a social construct.
The art of living is the greatest art of all.
One cannot step into the same city twice.
The good is what is useful to man.
The only constant is change.
Contemporaries of Protagoras
Other Philosophys born within 50 years of Protagoras (-490–-420).