Greek term for an art or a discipline having its own objects of study and producing a good outcome, like medicine or navigating a boat. Plato claimed rhetoric did not belong in this category, while sophists claimed it did.

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The Answer is The Greek term for an art or a discipline that has its own objects of study and produces a good outcome is "techne" (τέχνη). In ancient Greek philosophy, techne referred to a craft, art, or skill that could be systematically understood and taught. It was associated with practical knowledge and the application of principles to produce a desired result.

Plato, in his dialogues, often contrasted techne with mere experience or routine practice, suggesting that a true techne involves a deep understanding of the underlying principles that govern a practice. For Plato, medicine and navigation were examples of techne because they involved specialized knowledge and produced beneficial results.

Rhetoric, the art of persuasive speaking or writing, was a point of contention between Plato and the sophists. The sophists were itinerant teachers and intellectuals in ancient Greece who claimed to be able to teach the art of rhetoric, among other subjects. They considered rhetoric to be a techne because it had its own methods and could be taught systematically to achieve the practical outcome of persuasion.

Plato, on the other hand, was critical of the sophists and their claim that rhetoric was a techne. In his view, rhetoric lacked the moral and philosophical foundation that he believed was necessary for a true techne. He argued that rhetoric was often used to persuade without regard to truth or justice, and therefore it did not produce a genuinely good outcome. For Plato, a techne not only had to have a systematic body of knowledge but also had to be oriented towards the good and the true. As such, he did not consider rhetoric to be on the same level as disciplines like medicine or navigation, which he believed contributed to the well-being of individuals and society.

Greek Term for an Art or a Discipline Having Its