Final answer:
The correct option is b) Sophistry aims for success in a given context.
Sophistry is characterized by its focus on achieving success in argumentation by appealing to the emotions and biases of the audience, often at the expense of the truth, which falls under option b) Sophistry aims for success in a given context.
Step-by-step explanation:
When contrasting sophistry with rhetoric in terms of power and argumentation, sophistry is characterized by its aim for success in a given context, which answers the question b) Sophistry aims for success in a given context. Unlike the noble goal of true philosophical inquiry, which is to seek truth through reason, sophistry instead prioritizes the attainment of influence and power by means of persuasive communication that appeals to emotion and subjective opinion over objective fact. The Sophists were adept in shaping arguments in a way that appeared logical on the surface, hence triumphing in the context of public debate and persuasion regardless of the truth or ethical considerations.
The art of sophistry is thus often considered a manipulative use of rhetoric, where the speaker's chief concern is not to promote genuine understanding but rather to win the argument by any means necessary. This approach is contrasted with the Aristotelian ideal of rhetoric, which sought to establish a balance between ethos (ethical appeal), logos (logical appeal), and pathos (emotional appeal) within the context of persuasive speech, maintaining a stronger connection to truth and ethical persuasion.