Pyrrhonians

Pyrrhonians were adherents of Pyrrho of Elis, the ancient Greek philosopher credited with founding Pyrrhonism, a form of radical skepticism. The tradition was developed by later skeptics such as Aenesidemus and, in the centuries after, Sextus Empiricus, who systematized Pyrrhonian methods in major surviving writings. They held that certainty about external objects, causes, and even the self is unattainable, and that the wise person should refrain from forming non-evident beliefs.

Central to Pyrrhonism is epoché, a suspension of judgment about the truth of competing propositions. Pyrrhonists argued that appearances or impressions are indistinguishable in their force and cannot be crowned with secure knowledge, a principle known as equipollence. Rather than advocate a positive doctrine about reality, they promoted living without dogmatic assent, aiming at ataraxia, or tranquility of mind, as the practical reward of suspension. They did not deny experience; they urged quieting disputes and focusing on calm, deliberate conduct.

Historically, Pyrrho's ideas influenced the Hellenistic milieu and, through the Pyrrhonian skeptics, into later centuries, with Sextus Empiricus presenting an extended case against dogmatism. Their approach contrasted with the later Academic Skeptics and Stoics, though interactions among schools shaped later skeptical and philosophical thought. Today, Pyrrhonian skepticism is studied as a foundational stance in the philosophy of skepticism and epistemology, valued for its method and emphasis on living without ungrounded beliefs.