SOPHISTS
Noun
sophists
plural of sophist
Source: Wiktionary
SOPHIST
Soph"ist, n. Etym: [F. sophiste, L. sophistes, fr. Gr. Sophism.]
1. One of a class of men who taught eloquence, philosophy, and
politics in ancient Greece; especially, one of those who, by their
fallacious but plausible reasoning, puzzled inquirers after truth,
weakened the faith of the people, and drew upon themselves general
hatred and contempt.
Many of the Sophists doubdtless card not for truth or morality, and
merely professed to teach how to make the worse appear the better
reason; but there scems no reason to hold that they were a special
class, teaching special opinions; even Socrates and Plato were
sometimes styled Sophists. Liddell & Scott.
2. Hence, an impostor in argument; a captious or fallacious reasoner.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition