Outlines of Scepticism
by Sextus Empiricus · Πυρρώνειοι ὑποτυπώσεις
Assigned by 1 of the 9 reading lists, catalogue entry only
- Written
- c. 200
- Era
- Roman Empire
- Form
- Treatise
- Language
- Greek
- Length
- Medium · 250 pp120 to 300 pages
- Difficulty
- Demanding3 of 5 for a first-year reader
We recommendOutlines of Scepticism, translated by Julia Annas and Jonathan BarnesCambridge University Press, 2000The standard modern translation with an introduction that explains the Pyrrhonist project.
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The fullest surviving account of ancient Pyrrhonian scepticism, in three books. The first explains what scepticism is, the ability to set appearances and arguments against one another so that the mind suspends judgement and tranquillity follows, and lays out the ten modes of Aenesidemus and the five modes of Agrippa for producing that suspension. Books two and three apply the method to the logic, physics and ethics of the dogmatic schools, arguing against criteria of truth, proof, causes, gods and the existence of anything good or bad by nature.
No reading guide yet
The catalogue entry above is complete: the dates, the form, the themes and every program that assigns Outlines of Scepticism are verified against each program's published list.
What is missing is the part that takes real work: the summary, the key passages, and a recommended translation. The edition named below is the one most programs assign, so the buy links are useful already.
