Who were the sophists and what were their beliefs?

In fifth and fourth century Greece, “sophists” were lecturers, teachers, and philosophers who were an integral part of society. Sophists were known as wise men. They believed in giving “excellent” or “virtuous” knowledge to their students in a range of subjects from mathematics to music and athletics.

Sophists investigated subjects religion, law, ethics, and nature while promoting their beliefs in ethics and democracy.

the declaration states, “we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness….”