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Philosophy vs Sophistry - What's the difference?

philosophy | sophistry |

In uncountable terms the difference between philosophy and sophistry

is that philosophy is an academic discipline that seeks truth through reasoning rather than empiricism while sophistry is the art of using deceptive speech or writing.

In countable terms the difference between philosophy and sophistry

is that philosophy is a general principle (usually moral) while sophistry is an argument that seems plausible, but is fallacious or misleading, especially one devised deliberately to be so.

As nouns the difference between philosophy and sophistry

is that philosophy is the love of wisdom while sophistry is cunning, sometimes manifested as trickery.

As a verb philosophy

is to philosophize.

philosophy

Alternative forms

* philosophie (obsolete) * phylosophie (obsolete) * phylosophy (nonstandard)

Noun

  • (uncountable, originally) The love of wisdom.
  • (uncountable) An academic discipline that seeks truth through reasoning rather than empiricism.
  • * 1661 , , The Life of the most learned, reverend and pious Dr. H. Hammond
  • During the whole time of his abode in the university he generally spent thirteen hours of the day in study; by which assiduity besides an exact dispatch of the whole course of philosophy , he read over in a manner all classic authors that are extant
  • (countable) A comprehensive system of belief.
  • (countable) A view or outlook regarding fundamental principles underlying some domain.
  • (countable) A general principle (usually moral).
  • (archaic) A broader branch of (non-applied) science.
  • Meronyms

    * See also

    Derived terms

    * analytic philosophy * antiphilosophy * continental philosophy * personal philosophy * philosophize * philosophy of mind

    Verb

  • To philosophize.
  • *, II.12:
  • Plato hath (in my seeming) loved this manner of Philosophying , Dialogue wise in good earnest, that therby he might more decently place in sundry mouthes the diversity and variation of his owne conceits.

    See also

    * * ideology

    sophistry

    English

    Noun

  • (uncountable) Cunning, sometimes manifested as trickery.
  • *"Such conduct is at any rate not sophistical, if Aristotle be right in describing sophistry as the art of making money." 1844 - Søren Kierkegaard in Philosophical Fragments (Philosophiske Smuler eller En Smule Philosophi)
  • (uncountable) The art of using deceptive speech or writing.
  • (countable) An argument that seems plausible, but is fallacious or misleading, especially one devised deliberately to be so.
  • See also

    * demagogy * rhetoric