Sextus Empiricus (Greek, Sextos Empeirikos) was a physician and a philosopher in 2. Century n. Chr., which wrote several works in Greek language.

Life

From the life of the Sextus Empiricus not very much is well-known. From a mention with Diogenes Laertios (9,116) results that the received works 180-200 n. Chr. to be written might; from Sextus' writings it follows that he must have been in Alexandria and Athens. The surname Empiricus points on affiliation to the antique physician school of the Empiriker.

Works and teachings

Sextus Empiricus is last us the seizable representatives of the sceptical school tradition. Three of its works are received:

• ptpse ( hypotyp´seis), translates about: Fundamentals of pyrrhonischen skepticism; 3 books. The title refers an important sceptical philosopher to Pyrrhon of Elis.
• "a"at (pros ; the title is usually Latin quoted: adversus mathematicos), about: against the scientists; 6 books.
• d"at (pros ), about: against the philosophers; 5 books.

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

In addition two further works are called by Sextus Empiricus, which are however lost: p""ata ( hypomnmata; about: medical notes) and ( psychs ; about: Notes on the soul).

Sextus Empiricus applied the basic assumption "„of pyrrhonischen "“skepticism, i.e. that secured knowledge is impossible, to as good as all fields of knowledge. Thus its work represents a kind "„negative manual "“(Wolbergs) of the knowledge of its time: The author argues with an abundance of alleged realizations in very many areas, whereby he denies with the most diverse arguments that secured knowledge is present. In this way a great many antique theorems and Lehrmeinungen are reported; few of it are received only with Sextus Empiricus.

The language of the Sextus Empiricus does not appear as literarily very ambitioniert; its representation method works every now and then somewhat pedantisch. Often it enumerates weak and strong arguments, without it against each other to weights.

Aftereffects

The works of the Sextus Empiricus had after their Wiederentdeckung in the Renaissance a remarkable influence on the philosophical literature 17. and 18. Jh., approximately on thinking Michel de Montaigne.

Literature

Text editions and translations

• Sexti Empirici opera recensuit Hermannus Mutschmann (3 Bde.); Lipsiae (Teubner, Leipzig) 1912-1954: Greek text of the received works.
• Sextus Empiricus: Sketch of pyrrhonischen skepticism; introduced and of Hossenfelder, Frankfurt/Main (Suhrkamp) painted 2002 translated; ISBN 3518280996
• Sextus Empiricus: Against the scientists (Adversus mathematicos); from the Greek one translates, introduced and commentates from Fritz peppering castle (king living & Neumann) 2001; ISBN 3826020693

Secondary literature

• Thielko Wolbergs, kind. Sextos. 2. , in: The small Pauly, encyclopedia of the antique ones in five volumes; Bd. 5 (1979), S. 157f.
• Rosario La Sala: The courses of the Skeptikers. The dialectic character of Sextus Empiricus' work (= Hypomnemata Bd. 160), Goettingen (Vandenhoek & Ruprecht) 2005; ISBN 3525252595

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Articles in category "Sextus Empiricus"

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