Outlines of Pyrrhonism
May 2027 · Princeton University Press
Ebook
352
Pages
family_home
Eligible
info
infoThis book will become available on May 4, 2027. You will not be charged until it is released.
About this ebook
An authoritative new translation of an important work of ancient philosophical skepticism
In this volume, Richard Bett, a leading translator of and authority on the ancient Greek skeptic Sextus Empiricus, presents the first new, complete English translation in decades of the philosopher’s best-known work, Outlines of Pyrrhonism, together with an introduction and extensive commentary. In clear, modern English, the translation captures Sextus’s direct and frequently witty style, and the accessible commentary, which draws on the latest scholarship, offers a detailed vision of Sextus’s aims and approach.
Outlines of Pyrrhonism is the only surviving work by Sextus that includes a general account of his variety of skepticism: Pyrrhonian skepticism, claiming inspiration from the philosopher Pyrrho of Elis. This general account appears in Book I of the work, while Books II and III apply Sextus’s method to the main areas of philosophy recognized in later antiquity: logic, physics, and ethics. Bett’s commentary analyzes Sextus’s arguments, explaining their historical context and assessing their philosophical merits, and discusses points of the Greek text and translation where these present difficulties.
The result is an authoritative edition of an essential work of ancient Greek philosophy.
In this volume, Richard Bett, a leading translator of and authority on the ancient Greek skeptic Sextus Empiricus, presents the first new, complete English translation in decades of the philosopher’s best-known work, Outlines of Pyrrhonism, together with an introduction and extensive commentary. In clear, modern English, the translation captures Sextus’s direct and frequently witty style, and the accessible commentary, which draws on the latest scholarship, offers a detailed vision of Sextus’s aims and approach.
Outlines of Pyrrhonism is the only surviving work by Sextus that includes a general account of his variety of skepticism: Pyrrhonian skepticism, claiming inspiration from the philosopher Pyrrho of Elis. This general account appears in Book I of the work, while Books II and III apply Sextus’s method to the main areas of philosophy recognized in later antiquity: logic, physics, and ethics. Bett’s commentary analyzes Sextus’s arguments, explaining their historical context and assessing their philosophical merits, and discusses points of the Greek text and translation where these present difficulties.
The result is an authoritative edition of an essential work of ancient Greek philosophy.
An authoritative new translation of an important work of ancient philosophical skepticism
In this volume, Richard Bett, a leading translator of and authority on the ancient Greek skeptic Sextus Empiricus, presents the first new, complete English translation in decades of the philosopher’s best-k...
About the author
Sextus Empiricus, who is thought to have lived around 200 CE, belonged to the Empirical school of medicine. He is the only ancient Greek skeptic of whom complete works survive, and the most important of these is Outlines of Pyrrhonism. Richard Bett is professor of philosophy and the Duane L. Peterson Professor of Ethics at Johns Hopkins University, where he is also affiliated with the Department of Classics. His books include Pyrrho, His Antecedents, and His Legacy. He is also the editor of The Cambridge Companion to Ancient Scepticism and the translator and editor of How to Keep an Open Mind: An Ancient Guide to Thinking Like a Skeptic (Princeton). He has now translated all the surviving works of Sextus Empiricus with notes or commentary.
Sextus Empiricus, who is thought to have lived around 200 CE, belonged to the Empirical school of medicine. He is the only ancient Greek skeptic of whom complete works survive, and the most important of these is Outlines of Pyrrhonism. Richard Bett is professor of philosophy and the Duane L. Pete...
Reading information
Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can listen to audiobooks purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
eReaders and other devices
To read on e-ink devices like Kobo eReaders, you'll need to download a file and transfer it to your device. Follow the detailed Help Center instructions to transfer the files to supported eReaders.
