Protagoras of Abdera (l. c. 485-415 BCE) is considered the greatest of the Sophists of ancient Greece and the first philosopher in the West to promote Subjectivism, arguing that interpretation of any given experience, or anything whatsoever, is relative to the individual. This same view was earlier promoted by the Chinese relativist philosopher Teng Shih (l. c. 500 BCE).
More about: ProtagorasServer Costs Fundraiser 2024
Help our mission to provide free history education to the world! Please donate and contribute to covering our server costs in 2024. With your support, millions of people learn about history entirely for free every month.
$15596 / $18000
Definition
Timeline
-
c. 485 BCE - c. 415 BCELife of the Sophist Protagoras of Abdera; claim that "man is the measure of all things".
-
440 BCEThe sophist Protagoras of Abdera, claiming 'man is the measure of all things', visits Athens.