9+ Sextus Empiricus Quotes And Sayings

Following is our list of the best Sextus Empiricus quotes and sayings.

By skepticism . . . we arrive first at suspension of judgment, and second at freedom from disturbance. — Sextus Empiricus

Plato, quite decadently, wore an earring while young. — Sextus Empiricus

Scepticism is an ability, or mental attitude, which opposes appearances to judgments in any way whatsoever, with the result that,owing to the equipollence of the objects and reasons thus opposed we are brought firstly to a state of mental suspense and next to a state of "unperturbedness" or quietude. — Sextus Empiricus

Skepticism relieved two terrible diseases that afflicted mankind: anxiety and dogmatism. — Sextus Empiricus

The skeptic, being a lover of his kind, desires to cure by speech, as best he can, the self-conceit and rashness of the dogmatists. — Sextus Empiricus

The Mode of circular reasoning is the form used when the proof itself which ought to establish the matter of inquiry requires confirmation derived from the matter; in this case, being unable to assume either in order to establish the other, we suspend judgement about both. — Sextus Empiricus

Democritus sometimes does away with what appears to the senses, and says that none of these appears according to truth but only according to opinion: the truth in real things is that there are atoms and void. 'By convention sweet', he says, 'by convention bitter, by convention hot, by convention cold, by convention colour: but in reality atoms and void.' — Sextus Empiricus

...although both the Academics and the Pyrrhonian Skeptics say that they believe some things, yet here too the difference between the two philosophies is quite plain. For the word believe has different meanings; it means not to resist but simply to follow without any strong impulse or inclination, as the boy is said to believe his tutor; but sometimes it means to assent to a thing of deliberate choice and with a kind of sympathy due to strong desire, as when the incontinent man believes him who approves of an extravagant mode of life. Since, therefore, Carneades and Cleitomachus declare that a strong inclination accompanies their credence — Sextus Empiricus

To every argument an equal argument is opposed. — Sextus Empiricus