Sophistry is clever but fallacious reasoning used to deceive. The word comes from the Sophists, a group of traveling teachers in ancient Greece who taught rhetoric and argumentation for a fee. They were not necessarily dishonest. They taught skills that were useful in courts and assemblies. But Plato portrayed them as manipulators who cared more about winning arguments than about truth. The most famous Sophist in Plato's dialogues is Protagoras, who said that man is the measure of all things. That claim can be read as a form of relativism. It can also be read as a claim about perception.

Sophistry is not just an ancient phenomenon. It appears whenever someone uses language to manipulate rather than to inform. Advertisers, politicians, and lawyers can all be accused of sophistry. The line between rhetoric and sophistry is not always clear. Rhetoric aims to persuade. Sophistry aims to deceive. The difference is in the intent and the truth of the claims. Critical thinking is the antidote to sophistry. It involves asking for evidence, checking for fallacies, and being alert to emotional manipulation. Plato's dialogues are still read because they dramatize the difference between genuine inquiry and clever manipulation.

Marks of sophistry

• Emotional appeals. Playing on fear, anger, or desire.
• False premises. Starting from claims that are not true.
• Equivocation. Using words in different senses.
• Red herrings. Introducing irrelevant points.

Sophistry is not the same as skepticism. Skepticism doubts claims. Sophistry exploits doubt for persuasive effect.