Practice question · Sort into groups
Sort each arrangement by whether the Sophists would classify it as nomos or physis.
Groups: Nomos, human convention · Physis, nature
- Which people are considered noble
- The laws of a particular city
- That heavy things fall
- That human beings need food and water
- Customs of dress and diet
Hints
- The question is whether the arrangement could have been otherwise.
- Anything varying between cities is a strong candidate for convention.
Show the answer
Nomos, human convention: The laws of a particular city, Which people are considered noble, Customs of dress and diet
Physis, nature: That human beings need food and water, That heavy things fall
Why
The test is variability: what differs between cities is convention, what holds everywhere is nature. Applying it to social hierarchy was genuinely subversive, since it implies the arrangement could have been otherwise.
Practise The Sophists
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