Ancient Greek Philosophy

Introduction and Key Questions

"The core concepts of ancient skepticism are belief, suspension of judgment, criterion of truth, appearances, and investigation. Important notions of modern skepticism such as knowledge, certainty, justified belief, and doubt play no or almost no role. This is not to say that the ancients would not engage with questions that figure in today’s philosophical discussions. Ancient debates address questions that today we associate with epistemology and philosophy of language, as well as with theory of action, rather than specifically with the contemporary topic of skepticism. They focus on the nature of belief, the way in which belief figures in our mental lives, and the relationship of belief to speech and action."

The Nature of Belief.pdf

From: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/skepticism-ancient/

Guiding Questions:

• How does "suspension of belief" allow for Skeptics to question every possible belief statement? 
• What about the Stoics' teachings were the Skeptics critiquing and addressing in their own writing? 
• What kinds of connections or parallels can we draw between Skeptic asceticism and principles in Buddhism?
• What are the key differences between the Skeptics and the Sophists?  

aristotle.ethics.pdf Aristotle's various moral virtues.

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Readings and Resources

Readings

"Outlines of Pyrrohism" outlines of pyrronism.pdf 

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (click here to view website ) 

Philosophy Basics: Pyrrho (click to view website)

Videos

Published on Nov 9, 2014 *credit to carneades.org

Powerpoint 

Skepticism and Relativism: Historic Perspective by Svavar Hrafn Svavarsson

ScepticismRelativism[1].ppt

Other sources : sources1

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Key Thinker

Pyrrho (360BC-270BC) 

 The first Skeptic proper, however, was Pyrrhos of Eli (although he was perhaps not actually a "skeptic" in the later sense of the word), and the Skeptic movement which subsequently grew up was largely based around his early ideas. Pyrrho travelled and studied as far as India, but he became overwhelmed by his inability to determine rationally which of the various competing schools of though of the time was correct. Upon admitting this to himself, he finally achieved the inner peace (or "ataraxia") that he had been seeking (and which became the ultimate goal of the early Skeptikoi), and he propounded the adoption of what he called "practical skepticism". Pyrrho himself wrote nothing, and even the satiric writings of his pupil Timon of Phlius are mostly lost. Today, his ideas are known mainly through the book "Outlines of Pyrrhonism" by the Greek physician Sextus Empiricus in the early 3rd Century A.D 

Excerpt from Philosophy Basics 2008 Luke Mastens

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Discussion Activity 

Post twice, at least one should be reply. Revisit 'Suspended Belief" before posting. 

1. All wrong_untagged.pdf

2. Headings_tagged.pdf