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Man, the Measure of all Things?

Maybelle Marie O. Padua

Discipline: Philosophy

 

Abstract:

This paper responds to the problem of epistemic relativism espoused by Protagoras, ‘man as the measure of all things’ in Plato’s dialogue, Theaetetus. It argues that Protagoras’ claim undermines the stability of knowledge, which has the real for its object, and consists of true, permanent, and unchanging beings, and of truth, which man by his very nature is impelled to seek and possess. The author contends that since man is an integral unity of intellect, will, and emotions, it is not sufficient for man to know the truth; he must decisively work at upholding and preserving it. The author makes a claim for cognitive emotion or our valuing of truth as the force from which a person will derive the vigor to adhere to truth so that he or she can construct and define the world in a manner consistent with reality.