Sextus Empiricus: Physics 373
But this is silly. For first, not having experienced suffering, he is powerless
to have a conception of pleasure. For it is because of the elimination of
everything that is painful that pleasure naturally arises. 166. Further,
granting this, it will once again follow that god is destructible. For if
god is subject to such rapture, he will be subject to change for the worse,
and is therefore destructible. But if this is not so, neither is the supposition
upon which it is based ....
- Such then is the character of these arguments. There are some
'sorites' arguments put forward by Carneades, which his follower Clito-
machus recorded as being most serious and effective, and which have
this form: if Zeus is a god, Poseidon is a god too:^41
We are three brothers, children of Kronos and Rhea,
Zeus and myself, and thirdly, Hades, lord of the shades,
All things are divided into three, each with his share of
honour.- So, if Zeus is a god, Poseidon his brother will be a god; and if
Poseidon is a god, Achelous will be a god; and if Achelous, Neilos, and
if Neilos, every river, and if every river, the streams would be gods, and
if the streams, the mountain run-offs. But the streams are not gods;
therefore, neither is Zeus. But if there were gods, Zeus would be a god.
Therefore, the gods do not exist .... - Such are the opposing arguments of dogmatic philosophers to
prove that gods exist and to establish that such a thing does not exist.
In consequence, the suspension of judgement of the sceptic is introduced,
especially so when we add to these arguments the inconsistencies that
arise in everyday life about gods. 192. For different people have different
and inconsistent suppositions about these matters, so that, because of
this conflict, neither are all of them trustworthy nor are some, because
of their equal force. This is confirmed by the myth-making of the theolo-
gians and poets, for it is full of impiety ....
Sextus PH 3.13-29 [III-44]
Ch. iv On Cause- In order that the dogmatists should not turn to slander against us
because of a poverty of substantive counter-arguments, we shall consider
in a more general way the efficient cause after first attempting to under-
stand the conception of cause. As far as concerns what is said by the - Iliad 15.187-9.