The contemporary significance of Sextus Empiricus radical skepticism

• Grant number: 15/09366-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Post-doctor
• Start date: August 01, 2015
• End date: July 31, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Philosophy - History of Philosophy
• Principal Investigator: Marco Antônio de Ávila Zingano
• Grantee: Vítor Hirschbruch Schvartz
• Supervisor: Michael Williams
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Letras e Ciências Humanas (FFLCH). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Johns Hopkins University (JHU), United States
• Associated to the scholarship: 14/07143-4 - The contemporary significance of Sextus Empiricus radical scepticim, BP.PD

Abstract

In recent papers I have argued for a "rustic" interpretation of the skepticism of Sextus Empiricus. The core of my argument has been that, in light of the expressed suspension of judgment that we see in Sextus in so far as the opinions of the plain man, and also in light of the skeptic path towards epokhé, the "rustic" interpretation was more convincing than its rival, the "urbane" interpretation. I will now defend not only a rustic interpretation of Sextus' works, but also the coherence of a rustic skeptic philosophy against a tradition of rejecting skepticism on the basis of an incoherence charge. The writing of at least one major paper defending the ideas outlined here will be the outcome of the proposed one-year stay as a visiting scholar at the Department of Philosophy at Johns Hopkins University. (AU)