Sextus Empiricus: Against the Ethicists: (Adversus Mathematicos XI)

by Sextus Empiricus

This volume contains a new translation of Against the Ethicists, together with an introduction and extensive commentary. Those who have discussed this work in the past have tended to underestimate it, regarding its main position as essentially the same as that of Sextus's better-known Outlines of Pyrrhonism. Richard Bett shows that this text proposes a distinct and previously unnoticed philosophical outlook, associated with a phase of Pyrrhonian Scepticism earlier than Sextus himself.

Genres: Philosophy

340 pages, Hardcover

First published November 28, 1995

About the author

Ancient Mediterranean physician and philosopher. His philosophical work is the most complete surviving account of ancient Greek and Roman skepticism.

In his medical work, tradition maintains that he belonged to the "empiric school", as reflected by his name. However, at least twice in his writings, Sextus seems to place himself closer to the "methodic school", as his philosophical views imply.

Reviews

[Illiterate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I particularly enjoy skepticism applied to ethics, albeit that Sextus’ scattergun fires a very uneven set of arguments.