CONTENT ANALYSIS OF SOPHIST THINKERS IN ACADEMIC STUDIES

Abstract

Concepts form the basis of all fields of study and guide their development and transformation. However, there are no agreed-upon concepts in every field of study. It sometimes seems impossible to agree on the meaning of concepts, especially in the social sciences. One of the areas of study of social science affected by this complex situation is the history of political thought. In higher education, the curriculum of many faculties such as political sciences, economic and administrative sciences, communication, and the faculties of literature is based on concepts and thinkers. The ancient Greek polis and thinkers, who have an important place in the history of political thought, are among the topics that cannot be agreed upon in Turkish literatüre. The concept of sophist and the differences of opinion on thinkers who are described as sophist are prominent in studies on the history of ancient Greek thought. This study aims to present suggestions about the way in which thinkers who are considered sophist are dealt with by revealing these differences in the history of political thought books in Turkish literature. The sample of the study consists of 34 books on the history of political thoughts and the history of philosophy in Turkish literature. These works’ chapters written on sophist concept and thinkers who are considered sophists were examined within the content analysis method. As a result of the analysis, it is determined that a relatively consensus is reached on the concept of sophist, but that non-objective interpretations of the concept of sophist and the thinkers who are considered sophist are caused by the explanation of the thinkers who are considered sophist by making generalizations and groupings. In this study, it is argued that sophist thinkers should be treated separately instead of generalizing or grouping these thinkers. With the conclusion of this study, it is aimed to offer a different perspective on the way the subject is handled to the academics working in this field.