Sextus empiricus biography of christopher powell

Sextus Empiricus was a physician and philosopher in the 2nd century who wrote several works in Greek. He was a representative of Pyrrhonism. Sextus Empiricus is the last representative of the skeptical school tradition that is tangible to us.

Sextus empiricus biography of christopher powell: At least one commentary must

The writings preserved by him are, along with the Platonic and Aristotelian, the most extensive original sources of Greek philosophy. He left 14 books on skepticism, published under three titles. Sextus Empiricus applied the basic assumption of "Pyrrhonian" skepticism, namely that certain knowledge is impossible, to virtually all fields of knowledge.

Thus, his work represents a kind of "negative compendium" of the knowledge of his time: The author deals with a plethora of alleged findings in many fields, using a wide variety of arguments to deny that secured knowledge exists. In this way, many ancient theorems and doctrines are referred to; many of them are only preserved in Sextus Empiricus writings.

Sextus Empiricus circa —circa AD was a Greek philosopher and physician who played a significant role in the development of skeptical philosophy. Not much is known about his life, but his writings have left an important mark on the history of ancient philosophy. Sextus Empiricus is best known for his works on skepticism, particularly his collection of writings titled "Outlines of Pyrrhonism.