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The Sophists were significant for being among the first to charge fees for education. They made their living by traveling and teaching persuasive speaking and argumentation skills, valuing rhetoric over traditional philosophical wisdom.

Callicles, a character in Plato's dialogue 'Gorgias,' represents Sophist thinking by rejecting conventional morality. He argued that natural law favors the strong and that societal norms suppress the natural order in favor of the weak.

Sophists employed methods of questioning, debate, and contradiction to help their students develop argumentative skills. They focused on teaching practical skills for civic life, such as speaking and persuasion, rather than philosophical truths.

Sophists generally critiqued traditional metaphysical inquiries, arguing that debates about the nature of the universe were less important than practical matters of human affairs. They believed the focus should be on navigating social and political life.

Many Sophists specialized in eristic argumentation, which focused on winning debates rather than seeking truth. This method often involved using fallacies or other deceptive tactics to persuade an audience.

Gorgias was known for his nihilistic claims: nothing exists; even if something did exist, nothing can be known about it; and even if something could be known about it, knowledge cannot be communicated. This perspective highlights extreme skepticism about reality and the possibility of knowledge.

In Plato's 'Republic,' Thrasymachus claims that 'justice is nothing else than the interest of the stronger.' He sees laws as tools used by the ruling class to maintain power, casting justice as a form of institutionalized power rather than an ethical standard.

The Sophists were proponents of relativism, which suggests that knowledge is relative to the observer and that there is no absolute truth. They claimed that understanding and morality are not universal but can vary depending on culture, society, or individual perspective.

Hippias, a Sophist known for his wide knowledge, boasted about his ability to make universal claims, even about subjects like astronomy. He applied his relativism to assert that laws are artificial and justice is not natural but a human convention.