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Sextus's Argument Of Skepticism?

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According to skepticism, we can never reach a final decision regarding any issue because there will always be two opposing ideas that are equally compelling, in such a way that you cannot take anyone of them as a final answer. Sextus Empiricus, who is an ancient philosopher, explained in his book the principles of skepticism and the methods applied by a skeptic that will empower him to reach his ultimate goal which is mental tranquility. In this paper, I will discuss Sextus’s argument on how skepticism can bring peace to our life by shedding light on the steps that a skeptic uses while searching for knowledge. Moreover, I will be arguing against Sextus’s argument about assertions through presenting an argument from the Republic, in which it shows that assertions can lead us to mental tranquility. According to Sextus Empiricus, seeking knowledge can be achieved in different ways according to the type of philosopher you are. For example, dogmatists are those who claim that they found the truth such as Zeno and Plato. However, academics are those who believe …show more content…

For Zeno, he defended his arguments through contradiction. For instance, having infinite midpoints that sum up to a finite number led Zeno to claim that plurality doesn’t exist. On the other hand, skeptics will withhold judgments when contradicting alternatives of equal forces exist. For example, if there was a bowl filled with water and I want to know the temperature of this water. If my hands are hot then I will feel that the water is cold, but if my hands are cold then I will feel that the water is warm. Thus, according to what I am really experiencing, I will not be able to say that I am wrong nor correct since I have equipollent arguments. In this case, skeptics will suspend judgments in order to reach mental

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