Sextus Empiricus

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Sextus Empiricus ( Greek Σέξτος Ἐμπειρικός Sextos Empeirikós ) was a doctor and philosopher in the 2nd century who wrote several works in Greek. He was a representative of Pyrrhonism .

Life

Little is known of the life of the Sextus Empiricus. A mention by Diogenes Laertios shows that the surviving works are likely to have been written 180–200 AD; Sextus' writings show that he must have been in Alexandria , Rome and Athens , but the place of his work is unknown. The epithet Empiricus indicates belonging to the ancient medical school of empiricists . He had a student named Saturninus.

Works

Sextus Empiricus is the last tangible representative of the skeptical school tradition. The writings he has received 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:

  • Πυρρωνείαι ὑποτυπώσεις ( pyrrhoneíai hypotypôseis ), roughly translated: basics of pyrrhonic skepticism ; 3 books. The title refers to Pyrrhon of Elis , a major skeptical philosopher.
  • πρὸς μαθηματικούς ( pros mathematikús ; the title is mostly quoted in Latin: adversus mathematicos ), for example: Against the scientists ; 6 books.
  • πρὸς δογματικούς ( pros dogmatikús ), for example: Against the philosophers ; 5 books.

In some editions, the latter is also treated as part of adversus mathematicos (as books 7-11).

The reading gives a comprehensive picture of the Pyrrhonic skepticism. Sextus also deals with the most diverse scientific and philosophical-dogmatic views of his time. This results in repeated central, skeptical views. This is also rated as 'lengthy' by some.

In addition, two other works by Sextus Empiricus are mentioned, but they are lost:

  • ἰατρικά ὑπομνήματα ( iatriká hypomnémata ; for example: Medical Notes ).
  • περὶ ψυχῆς ὑπομνήματα ( perí psychês hypomnémata ; for example: Notes about the soul ).

Teaching

Sextus Empiricus has applied the basic assumption of the “pyrrhonic” skepticism, namely that reliable knowledge is impossible, to almost all areas of knowledge. His work thus represents a kind of "negative compendium" ( Wolbergs ) of the knowledge of his time: the author deals with a wealth of alleged findings in a great many areas, using a wide variety of arguments to deny that certain knowledge exists. In this way a great many ancient theorems and doctrines are presented; not a few of them are only preserved in Sextus Empiricus.

In the main features of the Pyrrhonic skepticism (3.3.9-12), Sextus Empiricus also deals with the problem of the omnipotence of the divine in the face of evil, whereby he doubts the idea of ​​a divine control of the world. This passage offers the oldest written formulation of the argumentation of the skeptics regarding what Leibniz called theodicy .

The language of the Sextus Empiricus does not appear to be literarily very ambitious; the way it is presented is sometimes a bit pedantic. He often enumerates weak and strong arguments without weighing them against each other.

aftermath

During the Middle Ages , the works of Sextus Empiricus were almost completely forgotten; then his writings became accessible again. In 1562 Henri Estienne made a translation of the main features ; In 1569 a Latin translation of Gentian Hervet's Opera omnia followed. After this rediscovery of the Sextus Empiricus in the Renaissance , his works had a remarkable influence on the philosophical literature of the 16th to 18th centuries, for example on the thinking of Michel de Montaigne .

Text editions and translations

  • Sexti Empirici opera recensuit Hermannus Mutschmann (3 volumes). Teubner, Leipzig 1912–1954 (Greek text of the works preserved)
  • Sextus Empiricus: Outline of Pyrrhonic Skepticism . Introduced and translated by Malte Hossenfelder . Suhrkamp, ​​Frankfurt am Main 2002, ISBN 3-518-28099-6 .
  • Sextus Empiricus: Against the Scientists (Adversus mathematicos) . Translated from the Greek, introduced and commented by Fritz Jürß . Königshausen & Neumann, Würzburg 2001, ISBN 3-8260-2069-3 .
  • Sextus Empiricus: Against the dogmatists. Adversus mathematicos libri 7-11 . Translated by Hansueli Flückiger. Academia, Sankt Augustin 1998, ISBN 3-88345-749-3 .

literature

Overview representations

Overall presentations, investigations, comments

  • Keimpe Algra , Katerina Ierodiakonou (Ed.): Sextus Empiricus and ancient physics. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 2015, ISBN 978-1-107-06924-4
  • Julia Annas, Jonathan Barnes : The Modes of Skepticism: Ancient Texts and Modern Interpretations. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 1985, ISBN 0-521-27644-6 .
  • Alan Bailey: Sextus Empiricus and Pyrrhonean skepticism. Oxford University Press, Oxford 2002, ISBN 0-19-823852-5 .
  • Christian Breker: Introductory commentary on Sextus Empiricus' "Outline of the Pyrrhonic Skepticism". University publication University of Mainz, Mainz 2011 (online)
  • Tad Brennan : Ethics and Epistemology in Sextus Empiricus. Garland, London 1999, ISBN 0-8153-3659-4 .
  • Massimo Catapano: Sesto empirico ei tropi della sospensione del giudizio (= Lexis ancient philosophy 13). Hakkert, Amsterdam 2018.
  • Luciano Floridi: Sextus Empiricus: the transmission and recovery of pyrrhonism. Oxford University Press, Oxford 2002, ISBN 0-19-514671-9 .
  • Karel Janáček: Studies on Sextus Empiricus, Diogenes Laertius and on Pyrrhonic skepticism (= contributions to antiquity. Volume 249). De Gruyter, Berlin 2008.
  • Benson Mates : The Skeptic Way: Sextus Empiricus's Outlines of Pyrrhonism. Oxford University Press, Oxford 1996.
  • Rosario La Sala: The Skeptic's Traits. The dialectical character of Sextus Empiricus' work (= Hypomnemata , Vol. 160). Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 2005, ISBN 3-525-25259-5

Web links

Wikisource: Sextus Empiricus  - Sources and full texts

Remarks

  1. ↑ Diogenes Laertios 9,116.
  2. ↑ Diogenes Laertios 9,118.
  3. ↑ Cf. Christian Breker: Introductory commentary on Sextus Empiricus' "Outline of the Pyrrhonic Skepticism". University publication University of Mainz, Mainz 2011, pp. 5–11.
  4. ↑ See for example Mark Greengrass: Christendom Destroyed. Europe 1517-1648. Penguin Books, London 2014, pp. 209 f.
personal data
SURNAME Sextus Empiricus
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Empiricus, Sextus
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Doctor and philosopher
DATE OF BIRTH 2nd century
DATE OF DEATH 3rd century