1001Philosophers

Protagoras Quotes on Knowledge

Protagoras of Abdera was a Greek thinker traditionally counted as the first of the Sophists. This page collects quotes attributed to Protagoras on the topic of knowledge, drawn from across the philosopher's works.

Quotes

  • Attributed to Protagoras:

    “Man is the measure of all things: of those that are, that they are; of those that are not, that they are not.”

  • Attributed to Protagoras:

    “Concerning the gods, I am unable to know whether they exist or do not exist, nor what their nature is; many things prevent such knowledge: the obscurity of the matter and the brevity of human life.”

  • Attributed to Protagoras:

    “About every matter there are two arguments opposed to each other.”

  • Attributed to Protagoras:

    “Education does not take root in the soul unless one goes deep.”

  • Attributed to Protagoras:

    “Virtue can be taught.”