Sextus Empiricus and Greek Scepticism

Certain Tropes were commonly handed down by the older Sceptics, 36 by means of which [Greek: epochê] seems to take place. They are ten in number, and are called synonymously [Gr...

The exposition of the Tropes of Pyrrhonism constitutes historically and philosophically the most important part of the writings of Sextus Empiricus. These Tropes represent the s...

Interest has revived in the works of Sextus Empiricus in recent times, especially, one may say, since the date of Herbart. There is much in the writings of Sextus that finds a p...

The distinct philosophical movement of which Pyrrho was the author bore his name for five centuries after his death. It had an acknowledged existence as a philosophical tendency...

A paragraph in the First Book of the _Hypotyposes_ which has given rise to much speculation and many different theories, is the comparison which Sextus makes of Scepticism with...

The first volume of the _Pyrrhonean Hypotyposes_ gives the most complete statement found in any of the works of Sextus Empiricus of the teachings of Pyrrhonism and its relation...

Some say further that the Academic philosophy is the same as 220 Scepticism, therefore it seems appropriate to me to treat of that also. There have been, as the most say, three...

The later Sceptics, however, teach the following five Tropes 164 of [Greek: epochê]: first, the one based upon contradiction; second, the _regressus in infinitum_; third, relati...

It follows naturally in order to treat of the aim of the 25 Sceptical School. An aim is that for which as an end all things are done or thought, itself depending on nothing, or...

In the same manner as we teach the Tropes of [Greek: epochê], 180 some set forth Tropes through which we oppose the Dogmatics, by expressing doubt in regard to the aetiology of...

Some say that the medical sect called Empiricism is the same 236 as Scepticism. Yet the fact must be recognised, that even if Empiricism does maintain the impossibility of knowl...

Now that this school differs from ours is evident, for 210 Heraclitus expresses himself about many unknown things dogmatically, which we do not, as has been said. Aenesidemus an...

We sometimes express this as I have given it, and sometimes 188 thus, "Nothing more." For we do not accept the "No more," as some understand it, for the examination of the speci...

Protagoras makes man the measure of all things, of things 216 that are that they are, and things that are not that they are not, meaning by measure, criterion, and by things, ev...

Since we have said that [Greek: ataraxia] follows the suspension 31 of judgment in regard to everything, it behooves us to explain how the suspension of judgment takes place. Sp...

The [Greek: dynamis] of the Sceptical School is to place the 8 phenomenal in opposition to the intellectual "in any way whatever," and thus through the equilibrium of the reason...

It is evident that we pay careful attention to phenomena from 21 what we say about the criterion of the Sceptical School. The word criterion is used in two ways. First, it is un...

Furthermore, when we say "Every statement may have an equal 202 statement placed in opposition to it," by "every," we mean all the statements that we have examined; we do not us...

We say that the Sceptic does not dogmatise. We do not say 13 this, meaning by the word dogma the popular assent to certain things rather than others (for the Sceptic does assent...

We have treated of a sufficient number of these formulae for 206 an outline, especially since what we have said about those mentioned applies also to others that we have omitted...

Two other Tropes of [Greek: epochê] are also taught. For as it 178 appears that everything that is comprehended is either comprehended through itself or through something else,...

Those who say that the Sceptics deny phenomena appear to me to 19 be in ignorance of our teachings. For as we said before, we do not deny the sensations which we think we have,...

It is probable that those who seek after anything whatever, will 1 either find it as they continue the search, will deny that it can be found and confess it to be out of reach,...

The formulae "Perhaps," and "Perhaps not," and "It is 194 possible," and "It is not possible," and "It may be," and "It may not be," we use instead of "Perhaps it is," and "Perh...

The expression "Indetermination" furthermore shows a state 198 of mind in which we neither deny nor affirm positively anything regarding things that are investigated in a dogmat...

We explain Aphasia as follows: The word [Greek: phasis] is used 192 in two ways, having a general and a special signification. According to the general signification, it express...

The philosophy of Democritus is also said to have community 213 with Scepticism, because it seems to use the same matter that we do. For, from the fact that honey seems sweet to...

We respond in a similar way if we are asked whether 16 Scepticism is a sect or not. If the word sect is defined as meaning a body of persons who hold dogmas which are in conform...

We treat the formula "Every thing is incomprehensible" in 200 the same way. For "every thing" we interpret in the same way as above, and we supply the words "to me" so that what...

In regard to the formula "I determine nothing," we say the 197 following: By "determine" we mean, not simply to speak, but to give assent to an affirmation with regard to some u...

One way of treating the Sceptical philosophy is called 5 general, and the other special. The general method is that by which we set forth the character of Scepticism, declaring...

Some say that the Cyrenaic School is the same as the 215 Sceptical, because that school also claims to comprehend only conditions of mind. It differs, however, from it, because,...

The Sceptical School is also called the "Seeking School," from 7 its spirit of research and examination; the "Suspending School," from the condition of mind in which one is left...

When I say that I suspend my judgment, I mean that I cannot 196 say which of those things presented should be believed, and which should not be believed, showing that things app...

Scepticism arose in the beginning from the hope of attaining 12 [Greek: ataraxia]; for men of the greatest talent were perplexed by the contradiction of things, and being at a l...

We reply similarly also to the question whether the Sceptic 18 should study natural science. For we do not study natural science in order to express ourselves with confidence re...

When we use any one of these Tropes, or the Tropes of 187 [Greek: epochê], we employ with them certain formulae which show the Sceptical method and our own feeling, as for insta...

The formulae "I do not comprehend" and "I do not understand" 201 show a condition of mind in which the Sceptic stands aloof for the present from asserting or denying anything in...

Origin of the name.--The ten Tropes of [Greek: epochê].--The First Trope.--The Second Trope.--The Third Trope.--The Fourth Trope.--The Fifth Trope.--The Sixth Trope.--The Sevent...

Introductory paragraph.--The name of Sextus Empiricus. His profession.--The time when he lived.--The place of his birth.--The seat of the Sceptical School while Sextus was at it...

Statement of the problem.--The theory of Pappenheim.--The theory of Brochard.--Zeller's theory.--The theory of Ritter and Saisset.--The theory of Hirzel and Natorp.--Critical ex...