302 ///-25 to ///-26
that appearances are signs of non-evident things, and says that these are
not at all existent, whereas those who think they exist are deceived by a
meaningless positive response. He brings up next the puzzles based on
customs concerning all of nature, the cosmos, and the gods, straining to
show that none of these falls within the class of things graspable.
In the fifth book he proffers the dubitative strategies directed against
causes, alleging that nothing is the cause of anything, saying that causalists
are deceived, and enumerating the modes according to which he thinks
those who have been induced into giving casual explanations have been
led to such a muddle.
The sixth book deals with things good and bad, and also what is worth
choosing and avoiding, and further, things to be preferred and rejected.
He reduces these to absurdity, eliminating, at least so he thinks, the
possibility of our grasping and understanding these.
In the seventh book he takes up arms against the virtues, saying that
those who philosophize about these have feigned empty opinions and
have led themselves astray into thinking that they are in a position to
theorize about these and act accordingly.
The eighth and last book is devoted to the goal of life, in which he
does not allow either happiness or pleasure or prudence or any other
goal held by anyone on the basis of philosophical doctrine; rather, [he
says] that there just is no such thing as a goal which is recognized by
all people.
Later Pyrrhonism:
Sextus Empiricus
General Principles
Sextus PH 1.1-34
Ch. i On the Main Difference Between Philosophies
[III-26]- It is likely that, for those investigating some matter, the result is
either a discovery or the denial that there has been a discovery and an
acknowledgement of the failure to "grasp" [the truth], or else continuation
of the investigation. 2. Perhaps it is for this reason that in philosophical
investigations some said that they had found the truth, some denied that
it was possible for truth to be grasped, and some continue investigating. - Those who are called Dogmatists in the narrow sense believe that they
have discovered the truth; for example, the Aristotelians, the Epicureans,