Writers before Plato, and Plato himself, call the most ancient philosophers, including Pythagoras, "sophoi", "sophisai" and not "philosophoi." In view of this, it is perceived that the specific terminological use of "philosophy" of Socrates and Plato. Socrates, in fact, first uses it, embodying the meaning of true wisdom, as opposed to the false "sophistication."

"Sophoi" could very well be the word for Sophist, which would explain why Socrates used the word philosophy in opposition to it, it would explain at least why Sophists are considered to be on the opposite of true wisdom.