Overview
- Offers a new perspective of Sextus Empiricus and Pyrrhonism, a kind of skepticism named for Pyrrho
- Provides a clear, detailed interpretation on the basic Pyrrhonian concepts
- Shows that the Pyrrhonist tradition is still alive and as strong as ever
Part of the book series: Synthese Library (SYLI, volume 457)
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Table of contents (12 chapters)
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Front Matter
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Tên elpida ataraktêsein: The Road to Skepticism
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Front Matter
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Ton charactêra tês skepseôs: The Distinctive Character of SkepticismDistinctive character of skepticism
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Front Matter
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Back Matter
Keywords
About this book
This book offers a comprehensive interpretation of Sextus Empiricus based on his own view of what he calls the distinctive character of skepticism. It focuses on basic topics highlighted by this ancient philosopher concerning Pyrrhonism, a kind of skepticism named for Pyrrho: its concept, its principles, its reason, its criteria, its goals.
In the first part, the author traces distinct phases in the life and philosophical development of a talented person, from the pre-philosophical phase where philosophy was perceived as the solution to life's disturbing anomalies, through his initial philosophical investigation in order to find truth where the basic experience is that of a huge disagreement between philosophers, to the final phase where he finally recognises that his experience is similar to that of the skeptical school and adheres to skepticism.
The second part is devoted to explain the nature of his skepticism. It presents an original interpretation, for it claims that the central role in Sextus’ Neo-Pyrrhonism is played by a skeptical logos, a rationale or way of reasoning. This is what unifies and articulates the skeptical orientation. The skeptic goes on investigating truth, but in a new condition, for he is now tranquil, and he has a skeptical method of his own. He has also acquired a special ability in order to balance both sides of an opposition, which involves a number of different skills. Finally, the author examines the skeptical life generated by this philosophical experience where he lives a life without opinions and dogmas; it is an engaged life, deeply concerned with our everyday actions and values.
Readers will gain a deeper insight into the philosophy of Pyrrhonism as presented by Sextus Empiricus, as well as understand the meaning of anomalía, zétesis, epokhé, ataraxía, and other important ideas of this philosophy.
Reviews
Authors and Affiliations
About the author
Plínio Junqueira Smith is professor of History of Modern Philosophy and Theory of Knowledge at Universidade Federal de São Paulo (Brazil). He has published many books on the history of scepticism, as well as many papers on scepticism, history of modern philosophy, and analytical theory of knowledge (both in international journals and collective works), including Scepticism in the Eighteenth Century: Enlightenment, Lumières, Aufklarüng, Dordrecht, Springer, 2013, Academic Scepticism in Early Modern Philosopophy, Dordrecht, Springer, 2017 (both with Sébastien Charles), and Sceptical Doubt and Disbelief in Modern European Thought, Dordrecht, Springer, 2020 (with Vicente Raga-Rosaleny).
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: Sextus Empiricus’ Neo-Pyrrhonism
Book Subtitle: Skepticism as a Rationally Ordered Experience
Authors: Plínio Junqueira Smith
Series Title: Synthese Library
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-94518-3
Publisher: Springer Cham
eBook Packages: Religion and Philosophy, Philosophy and Religion (R0)
Copyright Information: Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022
Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-030-94517-6Published: 02 March 2022
Softcover ISBN: 978-3-030-94520-6Published: 03 March 2023
eBook ISBN: 978-3-030-94518-3Published: 01 March 2022
Series ISSN: 0166-6991
Series E-ISSN: 2542-8292
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XVI, 372
Number of Illustrations: 1 b/w illustrations
Topics: History of Philosophy, Epistemology, Classical Studies