10. Skeptics - without knowing Flashcards
Skepticism comes from the word Skepsis which means:
inquire/investigate
Skepticism is not a doctrine but an ABILITY which…
…opposes appearances, owing to equipollence (equal in power/significance) of objects or reasons opposed to each other
Skepticism - Equipollence…
…epoche (voluntary mental suspense) - atarxia/tranquility (pyrhhonists only)
If you think of mental suspense rightly, it’s actually being able to…
…balance, therefore it leads to atarxia
Phyrrho left no writings, but his philosophy is represented by the works of Sextus Empicirus, who identifies three different philosophers:
- dogmatists (believers in truth and the possibility of knowledge)
- Academic Skeptics (believers that there’s no truth, dogmatic about the impossibility of knowledge)
- Pyrrhonist skeptics: suspend judgment in search for truth. Distances themselves from both dogmatists and academic skeptics, saying that sceptisim is an art of living and contributes to the good life/tranquility/atarkasia
Phyronists supsend jugement to take care of their souls and have tranquility whereas…
…academic skeptics suspend judgment to be academic.
What’s an ironic claim from the academic skeptics?
knowledge requires an elimination of doubt, and doubt is always possible (except in regards to that claim) and knowledge is impossible (and we know that)
Marcus Aureleus: “you’re as dogmatic as the dogmatists”
Tell the story of the academic skeptic Carreades
Carreades argued for/against rome’s justice on two different days and offered equipollence. He was kicked out of Rome for doing so. The Pyrrhonist wouldn’t have been impressed with Carreades’ “shit disturbing” and asked: “how does your stunt contribute to your tranquility and Rome’s tranquility?”
Take away from Skepticism:
Embrace feeling (unlike Stoics) but suspend judgement about reality/ Hold onto the “facts” of appearances but not the facts themselves.
