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Sextus Empiricus Quotes

By skepticism . . . we arrive first at suspension of judgment, and second at freedom from disturbance.

By skepticism . . . we arrive first at suspension of judgment, and second at freedom from disturbance.

Sextus Empiricus
Science, Firsts, Judgment

To every argument an equal argument is opposed.

Sextus Empiricus
Argument, Equal
Sextus (Empiricus.), Philip Paul Hallie (1985). “Selections from the Major Writings on Scepticism, Man, & God”, p.85, Hackett Publishing

Skepticism relieved two terrible diseases that afflicted mankind: anxiety and dogmatism.

Sextus Empiricus
Two, Anxiety, Disease

Scepticism is an ability, or mental attitude, which opposes appearances to judgments in any way whatsoever, with the result that,owing to the equipollence of the objects and reasons thus opposed we are brought firstly to a state of mental suspense and next to a state of "unperturbedness" or quietude.

Sextus Empiricus
Attitude, Suspense, Owing
Sextus (Empiricus.) (1933). “Sextus Empiricus”, Loeb Classical Library

The skeptic, being a lover of his kind, desires to cure by speech, as best he can, the self-conceit and rashness of the dogmatists.

Sextus Empiricus
Self, Desire, Speech
Sextus (Empiricus.) (1933). “Sextus Empiricus”, Loeb Classical Library

Plato, quite decadently, wore an earring while young.

Sextus Empiricus
Plato, Young, Earrings

The Mode of circular reasoning is the form used when the proof itself which ought to establish the matter of inquiry requires confirmation derived from the matter; in this case, being unable to assume either in order to establish the other, we suspend judgement about both.

Sextus Empiricus
Order, Judgement, Inquiry
Sextus (Empiricus.) (1993). “Sextus Empiricus: Outlines of Pyrrhonism”

Democritus sometimes does away with what appears to the senses, and says that none of these appears according to truth but only according to opinion: the truth in real things is that there are atoms and void. 'By convention sweet', he says, 'by convention bitter, by convention hot, by convention cold, by convention colour: but in reality atoms and void.'

Sextus Empiricus
Sweet, Real, Science

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