Article Evaluation: Epicureanism edit
The article does a good job of giving an overview of Epicurean views on religion, ethics, and physics. The section on Epicurean physics is detailed but missing any citations. More time could be spent detailing the evolution of his atomist theory and how his ideas have been developed and resurrected over time. Also, the section titled History focuses on the history of his ideas – the article doesn’t give much in the way of information on what is known about his life or who influenced his ideas. It is part of the Greece, Classical Greece and Rome, and Philosophy projects, and rated C-class for each project. Aside from conversations on formatting and citations, a lot of the concern about the article on the talk page focused on how Epicurean ideas of atheism and hedonism were presented. I followed several of the citation links in the History section and did find the information that was cited, but there are several facts in the section marked as citation needed.
Article Ideas edit
Philosophical Skepticism: The section on Greek skepticism only includes information on Pyrrhonism and Sextus Empiricus. It could be editied to include more of the major schools of thought and philosophical influencers, and to detail the development of ideas through more modern eras.
Essays (Montaigne): The section on content is very short. While it summarizes the points made in a few of the more major essays it doesn’t do anything to describe how they tied into and helped develop skepticism. I would mostly focus on improving this section.
Pyrrho: The information presented in the article is lacking in information, and provides little information on his thinking or how his ideas influenced the development of skepticism.
Article Draft: Pyrrho edit
Life edit
Pyrrho of Elis is estimated to have lived from around 365-360 BC until 275-270 BC. [1]
While little is known for certain about Pyrrho’s philosophy and life, his primary influencers were most likely early philosophers whose work focused on the indeterminacy of the world, such as Plato and the Eleatics.[1] It is thought that he was taught by Anaxarchus of Abdera, and was also influenced by Eastern philosophy he encountered on a trip to India with Alexander the Great.[2]
Sources on Pyrrho edit
Pyrrho did not produce any written work detailing his philosophical beliefs.[2] Most of the information on Pyrrho’s beliefs comes from his most notable follower, Timon of Phlius, whose ideas are delineated in the Aristocles passage.[2] However, there are conflicting interpretations of the ideas presented in this passage, each of which leads to a different conclusion as to what Pyrrho’s own beliefs were. [2]
Most biographical information on Pyrrho, as well as some information concerning his demeanor and behavior, come from the works of mid-thirteenth century biographer Antigonus of Carystus. [2] Biographical anecdotes from Diogenes Laertius are also frequently cited; his work on Pyrrho's life drew primarily from Antigonus' accounts.[2]
Philosophy edit
As Pyrrho did not record his own beliefs, the exact details of his philosophy are uncertain. Most sources agree that the primary goal of Pyrrho’s philosophy was the achievement of a state of ataraxia,[2] or freedom from worry[1], and that he believed ataraxia could be brought about by doubting perception. It is this aspect of his beliefs that likely drove the founders of Pyrrhonic Skepticism to name their school of thought after him several centuries later.[2]
However, Pyrrho’s own beliefs likely differed significantly from the later Pyrrhonic Skeptics.[1] Most interpretations of the information on Pyrrho’s philosophy suggest that he focused on a belief that reality is inherently indeterminate. This was a dogmatic belief that would have been at odds with Pyrrhonic skepticism, which renounces any absolute assertion of knowledge.[1]
Pyrrhonic Skepticism edit
Several centuries after Pyrrho lived, a group of Greek skeptics chose him as the figurehead for their movement, which they named Pyrrhonism.[1] Pyrrhonic skepticism developed into one of the two major schools of skeptical thought that emerged during the Hellenistic period, the other being Academic skepticism. [3]
Pyrrhonic skepticism originated in the ideas of Aenesidemus of Cnossos, who developed ten arguments to be used as justification for suspending all judgement on the true nature of things.[4] These arguments were developed by Agrippa, who added five further justifications.[4] These arguments, as well as several other sets of tropes used as justification for suspending judgement, are presented in the texts of Sextus Empiricus, whose works contained the most detailed account of the beliefs of the Pyrrhonian movement.[3]
Pyrrhonic skeptics saw their brand of skepticism as a way of life, not just a philosophy, and viewed Pyrrho as the model for this way of life. Their main goal was to develop a cure for suffering and unhappiness.[4] In order to develop ideas, the Pyrrhonic skeptic begins by gathering arguments on both sides of a wide range of topics. They then weigh these arguments against each other, and discover that arguments on every topic have the property of isostheneia, or equal strength. This leads the skeptic to the conclusion that there is an unresolvable disagreement on any and every topic, and so the only answer is to suspend all judgement on the topics in question. They attempt to apply this logic to every possible topic, until the result is a state of “epoche” – a general suspension of judgement about the real nature of things. Reaching the state of epoche has the benefit of bringing the skeptic to a state of ataraxia, or freedom of worry, which relieves the thinker of the burdens that cause unhappiness.[1]
Pyrrhonic skepticism initially flourished in the medical communities around Alexandria, where it was seen as an alternative to the strict dogmatic theories of other medical groups. However, it fell into obscurity in the post-Hellenic period.[3]
Influence edit
The school of thought derived from Pyrrho’s philosophy, Pyrrhonic Skepticism, regained prominence in the late fifteenth century.[3] Pyrrhonist skepticism as outlined in the works of Sextus Empiricus played a major role in Renaissance and Reformation thought. Philosophers of the time used his works to source their arguments on how to deal with the religious issues of their day. Savonarola was one of the first thinkers to apply Pyrrhonic reasoning to the defense of true religion. Major philosophers such as Montaigne, Mersenne, and Gassendi later drew on the model of Pyrrhonic skepticism outlined in Sextus Empiricus’ works for their own arguments. This resurgence of Pyrrhonian skepticism has been called the beginning of modern philosophy.[3]
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- ^ a b c d e f g Home., Bett, Richard Arnot (2000). Pyrrho, his antecedents, and his legacy. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780198250654. OCLC 43615424.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ a b c d e f g h Bett, Richard; Zalta, Edward (Winter 2014). "Pyrrho". The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved 2/19/2018.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|access-date=(help) - ^ a b c d e Popkin, Richard Henry (2003). The History of Scepticism : from Savonarola to Bayle (Revised ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780198026716. OCLC 65192690.
- ^ a b c Pierre., Hadot, (2002). What is ancient philosophy?. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press. ISBN 9780674013735. OCLC 48857664.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)