Against the Ethicists: (Adversus Mathematicos XI)In this unjustly neglected and misunderstood work Sextus sets out a distinctive Sceptic position in ethics. He discusses the concepts good and bad, and puts forward the sceptical argument that nothing is either good or bad by nature or intrinsically or invariably, but only relatively to persons and/or to circumstances. He then argues that the sceptic is better off than the non-sceptic. In the latter part of the book, Sextus attacks the Stoic view that there is such a thing as a 'skill for life'. This volume contains a translation of Against the Ethicists into clear modern English, together with an introduction and a detailed commentary. Those who have discussed this work in the past have tended to underestimate it, often regarding its main position as essentially the same as that of Sextus' better-known Outlines of Pyrrhonism. Richard Bett shows that Against the Ethicists represents a quite distinct and coherent philosophical outlook, associated with a phase of Scepticism earlier than Sextus himself, an outlook of which little other evidence survives. |
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Against the Ethicists: (Adversus Mathematicos XI) Sextus Empiricus,Sextus (Empiricus.) Limited preview - 2000 |
Common terms and phrases
Aenesidemus Annas appears apprehensive impression argued argument Aristotle assertions ataraxia avoided bad by nature bad things benefit body Carneades chapter chosen Chrysippus claim clear clearly Comm conception conclusion context Crantor definition Diogenes disagreement discussion distinctive disturbance DL VII dogmatic dogmatists earlier Epicureans Epicurus ethical eudaimonia example exist fact follows folly Greek happiness Heintz hence human indifferent Janáček later least means Menoeceus Mutschmann nature bad objection one's parallel passage passage of PH PH III Philodemus philosophers Photius plain experience Plato pleasure Plut possible practical wisdom pursue Pyrrhonism Pyrrhonist question quotation reason Recognition Requirement refer regard sceptic sect seems sense sentence Sextus Empiricus Sextus says simply skill relating Socrates Stob Stobaeus Stoicism Stoics Striker suggests supposed suspend judgement suspension of judgement taught teaching term textual point Timon tion translation true VII-XI virtue wise person word Xenocrates XI's