Ancient Scepticism

Ancient Philosophies

by Harald Thorsrud

Scepticism, a philosophical tradition that casts doubt on our ability to gain knowledge of the world and suggests suspending judgement in the face of uncertainty, has been influential since is beginnings in ancient Greece. Harald Thorsrud provides an engaging, rigorous introduction to the arguments, central themes and general concerns of ancient Scepticism, from its beginnings with Pyrrho of Elis (c.360-c.270 BCE) to the writings of Sextus Empiricus in the second century CE. Thorsrud explores the differences among Sceptics and examines in particular the separation of the Scepticism of Pyrrho from its later form - Academic Scepticism - which arose when its ideas were introduced into Plato's Academy in the third century BCE. He also unravels the prolonged controversy that developed between Academic Scepticism and Stoicism, the prevailing dogmatism of the day. Steering an even course through the many differences of scholarly opinion surrounding Scepticism, Thorsrud provides a balanced appraisal of its enduring significance by showing why it remains so philosophically interesting and how ancient interpretations differ from modern ones.

Genres: Philosophy, History, Skepticism, Nonfiction

256 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2008

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a thorough and thoughtful history and academic exploration of scepticism as it was developed and practised in ancient Greece, starting with Pyrrho and ending with Sextus Empiricus. Thorsrud does a good job of teasing out the intricacies of sceptical arguments and objections to them - sometimes perhaps a little confusingly, given the complexities of the territory of beliefs and truths. It's not an easy read at times, therefore, but is well worth persevering with if you want to understand the intellectual foundations of the sceptical project of living a tranquil life through suspending judgement (epoche). I enjoyed the explicit or implicit relevance of these ideas to phenomenology, therapy and moral impasses (aporia). Scepticism is entirely relevant today, and it has much in common with Buddhist ideas of non-attachment as a practical amelioration of suffering. This book isn't really aimed at changing how you lead your life - but it does offer some clues for living, the most paradoxical of which is: "The proper sceptical attitude is to neither believe nor disbelieve that there is an art of living." Put that in a koan and smoke it!

[withdrawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three stars - a good book.

A well written, comprehensive overview of the philosophy of scepticism from Pyrrho to Sextus Empiricus. In between Thorsrud traces both the Academic and the Pyrrhonian schools of thought.

The book was written as an introduction to scepticism for advanced university level philosophy students. As a result, Thorsrud is constantly challenging the positions of the theories that he is putting forward. Often this approach works well, forcing the reader to think these theories through. Many times, however, the method backfires because the arguments are variations on a theme and become somewhat repetitive.

Thorsrud knows his material and is a complex thinker who gets his ideas across clearly. Good overview that is well worth the read.

[Leo Horovitz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very nice a seemingly comprehensive (hard to judge not being that knowledgeable in the subject prior to reading this) presentation of the different strands of skepticism existing in the ancient world, their histories and interrelatedness. Beginning with Pyrrho and the start of skepticism, the tale goes through the continually modified strands of skepticism taken up by the Academy and its continuing relation to Stoicism, through the attempted arrival of the original form of skepticism by Aenesidemus, and ending with Sextus Empiricus.

As with the other books in the series, the presentation is largely chronological, with lots of references to how the particular school of philosophy currently dealt with related to other contemporary schools as well as how one can find influences and similar lines of thought in thinkers living many centuries later. The presentation is by no means plainly historical though, arguments in favor of as well as in opposition of, skepticism are presented and dealt with fairly in-depth. Different interpretations of statements are presented, metaphysical, epistemological and logical issues are brought up, and even though no particular stand point regarding the philosophy is reached (which is perhaps only natural given the nature of skepticism), it is not simply presented in a dispassionate way. The arguments are dealt with and presented in at least a semblance of the dialectical approach presented as being the method of choice for the skeptics (inherited from Socrates) that are the subject of the book.

The style of writing is straight forward and vivid, making the book a simple read as far as the language is concerned, but a bit of general knowledge about the philosophy of antiquity is probably needed to keep track of all the other schools of thought that are presented, contrasted to and compared with skepticism.

A recommended read for anyone interested in philosophy who has had at least a brief introduction to the history of the subject prior to reading this.

[Einzige · Rating 4 out of 5]

As far as introductory secondary sources go this is quite a stand out. What you get here is not only a history of the development and divergences in theory but also a discussion on the objections and their responses of it at those particular points whilst also taking lengths to highlight which parts are controversial and where he is positing his own ideas. Furthermore the author provides a dual level of depth through his use of footnotes which raise and discuss some of the more technical points - hence allowing for more complexity and depth without forcing it on a reader who just wants a basic understanding. All of which is wrapped up with a very helpful recommended reading guide at the end.

As for the Scepticism (in brief) it highlights the two main schools that developed (although at times the line can be a bit fuzzy) these schools were essentially the Academic Sceptics and the Pyrrhonian Sceptics. The Academic Sceptics were a group that in a manor reminiscent of the Protestant Reformation sought to return the Platonic Academy to lines closer to the life of Socrates and his dialectical approach to discovering truth. In this respect scepticism was more of a tool and involved challenging the certainty of claims (particularly those of the Stoics) and is where you see the birth of the "YOU CANT NO NUFFIN" form of scepticism which holds that absolute truth is something which cannot be reached.

The other variety is the Pyrrhonian Scepticism which takes its name from a rather comical and mystical chap who in many ways is the sceptics version of Diogenes. This variety can be better understood as scepticism being a lifestyle and a path to achieving tranquility. The main way this is to be achieved is through demonstrating the principle of equipulence and how dogmatic (or those who are certain in their rational truths) views dont actually live up to the epistemological standards they set for themselves. This is done through demonstrating the inherent logical contradictions found in dogmatic claims. Unlike the Academics though they believe this principle and arguments work equally well in the opposite direction so effectively find a third answer to something being either true or false. Whilst beyond the scope of this review it does explore the consequences of this line of thought (such as can a sceptic have any views/beliefs and if no how can they live and act)

Overall a very good book and a glowing recommendation to the other books in this Ancient Philosophies series.

[David Montgomery · Rating 4 out of 5]

A helpful introduction to the now largely forgotten philosophical strand of Ancient Skepticism, whose practitioners argued that knowledge as traditionally understood was impossible. Thorsrud lays out the various strands of ancient skepticism, seeking in some cases to defend or reclaim them from what he sees as unfair interpretations. The Academic Skeptics, for example, were primarily occupied by a generations-long feud with the rival Stoics, and have traditionally been held to creep close to "negative dogmatism" — the belief that the only thing we could know for sure was that knowledge was impossible. Thorsrud argues that this was unfair, and most Academic Skeptics applied their skepticism reflexively — being skeptical about even their own skepticism. At the close of the book, Thorsrud focuses on the alternative Pyrhonnian Skeptics, as represented by their chief proponent Sextus Empiricus, who applied their radical skepticism to all things, and uniquely held that a skeptical lifestyle was not just an epistemological tool but also a route to tranquility.

This has, nonetheless, something of the style of a written philosophical lecture, laden with jargon and formal philosophical technique. None of it is impenetrable, and it is doubtlessly a more accessible (and comprehensive) introduction to the topic than most of the remaining primary sources, but it's not necessarily going to be easy going for a layperson who doesn't have at least a basic grounding in philosophy. It appears written with an academic rather than popular audience in mind.

[Adam Stevenson · Rating 2 out of 5]

There’s actually a lot of proper scepticism in Scepticism Inc.

I never thought I would ever read another philosophy book after my disastrous philosophy degree. When I bought this book, I thought it was going to be a history and while there would be some philosophy in it, that would be merely a flavouring. I was wrong. This is a book about the philosophy and… I quite enjoyed it.

The arguments were laid out clearly, I mostly followed them and I could read almost thirty pages at a time without falling asleep - a new record for me and a philosophy book.

Oddly, the book has made me less inclined to scepticism then I was before I read it. Although there were arguments to undermine belief, I realised that I had far more positive beliefs and assumptions then I realised (having considered myself a fairly sceptical person).

[Terry Fletcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful and accessible assessment of the Ancient Skeptics and their positions. The book does a impressive job of defining newly introduced positions in the text and offering a context for the philosophers and views discussed. A good read for someone with a background in philosophy and an interest in the birth of Skepticism.

[Sara V. · Rating 4 out of 5]

No es un libro sobre filosofía antigua.
Es una arquitectura mental construida desde la duda como forma de lucidez. Aquí, el escepticismo no se presenta como negación, sino como método refinado para depurar el pensamiento de sus automatismos.

Cada capítulo es una disección lógica que opera sin urgencias. No se intenta convencer, sino mostrar los límites de la certeza con precisión quirúrgica.
Es un texto que se niega a ofrecer comodidad.
Y en eso, reside su belleza.

El lector apresurado se perderá. Este libro exige contemplación: no se avanza sin antes desmontar creencias.
Es filosofía en su estado más exigente —sin ornamentos, sin promesas.
El juicio se suspende no por evasión, sino por respeto al proceso del pensar.

La figura del escéptico aparece aquí no como un rebelde, sino como un guardián del rigor mental.
Un tipo humano que prefiere el silencio lógico a la afirmación emocional.
Leer este libro fue como habitar una mente que no permite atajos: cada argumento es tamizado, cada idea expuesta a la intemperie del pensamiento puro.

Y, sin embargo, no hay frialdad.
Hay respeto.
Por la razón, por el alma humana que piensa, y sobre todo, por el derecho a no saber.

Para una mente estructurada, simbólica, y orientada hacia la coherencia interna, Ancient Scepticism no es solo teoría: es espejo.
No se trata de estar de acuerdo o no.
Se trata de asistir al espectáculo de una mente que se afila a través de su propia duda.

[Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice intro to the history and tenets of skeptical philosophy.