Skepticism

### Concerning an ancient conception of Skepticism

From the Ancient Skepticism SEP entry by Katja Vogt: "The Greek word skepsis means investigation."

Is this really the case? It appears to be an understanding of the tradition following *Outlines of Pyrrhonism* by *Sextus Empiricus* rather than an earlier Attic Greek conception.

According to A Greek-English Lexicon by Liddell and Scott Revised by Henry Stuart Jones and McKenzie (Oxford. Clarendon Press. 1940. Online at Tufts Perseus Project):

The word is **σσκέψις** or **σκέπτομαι** so indeed "skepsis" or "skeptomai" and it refers to a related set of ideas: viewing, inquiry, examination, speculation, consideration, taking thought of a thing or perception by the senses.

Another edition with further detail -- Liddell & Scott. Greek-English Lexicon. (Intermediate) Seventh Edition, 1945:

**σκεπτέον**, verb, adj. of σκέπτομαι, one must reflect or consider, Ar., Thuc., etc.

**σκεπτέος**, α, ον, to be considered, examined, Antipho.

**σκεπτικός**, ή, όν, (σσκέψις), reflective: οἱ σκεπτικοί,  The Skeptics or philosophers who asserted nothing, but only opined, Cic. opinatores, Luc.

**ΣΚΈΠΤΟΜΑΙ**, to look about, look carefully, followed by Prep. εἰς... to look after, watch... to look out, reconnoiter... look... look out... of the mind, to look to, view, examine, consider, think on... only consider... to think of beforehand, premeditate... sense things... well-considered.

**σσκέψις**, a viewing, perception by the senses... speculation, consideration... thought of a thing... inquiry into, speculation on a thing... hesitation, doubt.

The piece continues: "By calling themselves skeptics, the ancient skeptics thus describe themselves as investigators. They also call themselves ‘those who suspend’, thereby signaling that their investigations lead them to suspension of judgment. They do not put forward theories, and they do not deny that knowledge can be found. At its core, ancient skepticism is a way of life devoted to inquiry. It is as much concerned with belief as with knowledge. As long as knowledge has not been attained, the skeptics aim not to affirm anything. This gives rise to their most controversial ambition: a life without belief."

What does "not affirming anything" have to do with "a life without belief" and is the source for this inference ibid?

According to Richard Bett's SEP entry, Pyrrho appears to have lived from around 365–BCE until around 270 BCE (for the evidence see von Fritz; 1963; pg.90). he studied with Anaxarchus of Abdera. Plato lived circa 427—to 347 BCE (predecessor). Aristotle lived circa 384—to 322 BCE (contemporary). He also accompanied Alexander the Great on his expedition to India. We're told by Diogenes Laertius (9.61) that during this expedition he encountered some “naked wise men” (gumnosophistai). He claims that his philosophy developed as a result of this meeting. However, there is no good reason to believe that a Pyrrhonist ‘movement’ continued beyond his own immediate followers. This is because Pyrrhonism did not become the name of an ongoing philosophical tradition until the first century BCE.

### Notes on Skepticism: Concept and Method

Let's say I'm a skeptic, what do I mean by this exactly? I think I mean I doubt the possibility of certain knowledge and subsequently see little to no justification for passing any kind of judgement.

How does anyone know anything? by 'know' I mean something like accept, apprehend, believe, comprehend, discern, intuit, justify, perceive, prove, remember, sense, understand, verify, and so on... but it also seems important to appreciate distinctions between such terms given that each term is unique and is not absolutely synonymous with any others given that no two of the provided terms is conventionally identical.

Skepticism has historical roots as old as any other philosophy and could be thought of as having developed alongside philosophy rather than arising out of it. As such, there are a couple thousand years of skeptical figures to consider as part of its traditional legacy. Another way to think of skepticism is to wonder if it isn't more of a mood or disposition than a worldview one adopts. Perhaps there is no \*skepticism\* properly speaking because attributing much of any structure to thinking based on inquiry is evidently immediately subject to unceasing critical scrutiny and as such fails to satisfy any criteria for acceptance as being part of the structure of skeptical thinking. Of course this could also mean if there is \*any\* skepticism then there are \*many\* skepticisms following from the assumptions made in each case to formulate every instance of a skeptical system.

### Task List

I need to make an "Outlines of Pyrrhonism" English translators list for comparison.

Pin down the figures to be studied. IE: Pyrrho, Philo of Larissa, Cicero, Sextus Empiricus, etc.

for further comparison there is: skepticism as incredulity, doubting, questioning, inquiry, uncertainty, dissension, confusion, disbelief, pessimism, nihilism...

### Online Resources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skepticism

https://dash.harvard.edu/bitstream/handle/1/4725014/suber\_skept.htm

http://www.ucs.louisiana.edu/~kak7409/EpistPapersBySubject.html#Skepticism

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-skepticism-reveals/

https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/09/magazine/the-unbelievable-skepticism-of-the-amazing-randi.html

https://www.thenation.com/article/is-skepticism-treason/

https://www.loebclassics.com/view/LCL273/1933/volume.xml

http://www.iep.utm.edu/pyrrho/

http://www.iep.utm.edu/skepanci/

http://www.iep.utm.edu/cicero-a/

http://www.iep.utm.edu/skepcont/

https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/philo-larissa/

https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/sextus-empiricus/

https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/skepticism-medieval/

https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/skepticism-moral/

https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/skepticism-content-externalism/

https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/skepticism-latin-america/

### Physical Resources:

*De Natura Deorum, Academica (*On the Nature of the Gods. Academics) by Cicero

Outlines of Pyrrhonism by Sextus Empiricus