on the attainment of the superficial than on the attainment of the solid, their character as instructors of youth has come down to us laden with an obloquy which may have been exaggerated by their opponents, but which was certainly not altogether undeserved.
6. The second point to be considered in our estimate of the Sophists is the character of their philosophy. Our limits will not permit me at present to go deeply into the details of this subject; but there may be the less occasion for doing so, inasmuch as we are able to present in one celebrated maxim the sum and substance of their philosophy. This dogma is the saying, that "man is the measure of the universe;" a maxim attributed to Protagoras, but which may be accepted as the watchword and common principle of all the Sophists.
7. The meaning of this saying is, that truth, morality, and beauty are altogether relative, that there is nothing absolute or unchangeable in their nature. The maxim is, indeed, under one point of view, a condensed expression for the whole philosophy of the relative. Whatever a man holds to be true is true for him; whatever he holds to be right and good is right and good for him; whatever he holds to be beautiful is beautiful for him: and thus there is no absolute or universal standard either of truth or of morality or of beauty. It is obvious that where this doctrine is carried out in detail it must have the
