The method .sort() sorts the list eval_args on place (i mean it modifies the list eval_args), it does not return a sorted copy of eval_args (it returns nothing, hence your behaviour):
sage: evals = Mat(CDF,10).random_element().eigenvalues()
sage: eval_args = map(arg, evals)
sage: eval_args
[-2.88140694172,
2.66782234593,
-0.206748063577,
-0.663492557653,
-1.34361452031,
-1.67041594451,
-2.22990648845,
0.643653522447,
1.5894324166,
1.28058620418]
sage: eval_args.sort()
sage: eval_args
[-2.88140694172,
-2.22990648845,
-1.67041594451,
-1.34361452031,
-0.663492557653,
-0.206748063577,
0.643653522447,
1.28058620418,
1.5894324166,
2.66782234593]
As you can see, after calling eval_args.sort(), the list eval_args is sorted.
If you do not want your list eval_args to be modified and get a sorted copy of it, just use the function sorted():
sage: evals = Mat(CDF,10).random_element().eigenvalues()
sage: eval_args = map(arg, evals)
sage: eval_args
[1.77315647525,
2.73584430085,
0.678473279316,
1.0691046262,
-0.229457152027,
-2.26775012586,
-2.35863979204,
-1.30207117624,
-2.75762912811,
-0.789539732054]
sage: sorted(eval_args)
[-2.75762912811,
-2.35863979204,
-2.26775012586,
-1.30207117624,
-0.789539732054,
-0.229457152027,
0.678473279316,
1.0691046262,
1.77315647525,
2.73584430085]
sage: eval_args
[1.77315647525,
2.73584430085,
0.678473279316,
1.0691046262,
-0.229457152027,
-2.26775012586,
-2.35863979204,
-1.30207117624,
-2.75762912811,
-0.789539732054]
As you can see, the list eval_args was not modified by the function sorted(). Unfortunately, there is no .sorted() method for lists.