Universalist Grandeur, Romantic Depth, Pragmatist Cunning

Extract

Relativism has been a central topic of philosophical discussion for almost twentyfive hundred years. This is because the very idea of philosophy was a product of Plato's reaction to Protagoras’ claim that man is the measure of all things. The Platonic distinction between mere sophists and true philosophers incorporates the conviction that there is something beyond humanity that sets a standard which human beings are obliged to respect. Plato did his best to make ‘relativist philosophy’ a contradiction in terms.