empiricus

Empiricus most commonly refers to Sextus Empiricus, an ancient Greek philosopher active in the late 2nd to early 3rd century CE. He is widely regarded as a central figure in the Pyrrhonian skeptical tradition, known for articulating and preserving a systematic form of skepticism focused on withholding assent to non-evident beliefs in order to attain tranquility.

Life: Very little is known about his personal life. Details such as his exact dates, place of origin, and biography are uncertain, and much of what is attributed to him comes from later citations and his surviving writings. Some sources suggest he may have practiced medicine, but concrete biographical information remains elusive.

Works: Sextus Empiricus wrote in Greek, and his surviving works consist of skeptical manuals and critiques aimed at other schools. The most influential is the Hypotyposis (Outlines of Pyrrhonism), a three-volume work that presents the Pyrrhonian method and the equipollence of opposing arguments. He also wrote Against the Dogmatists and Against the Mathematicians (Against the Mathematicians), which challenge dogmatic certainty in philosophy, logic, science, and mathematics and argue for suspending judgment across such domains.

Influence: Sextus Empiricus is considered the most important source for ancient Pyrrhonian skepticism and a key conduit through which skeptical ideas entered later Islamic and European thought. His arguments against dogmatic claims influenced medieval and Renaissance skeptics and contributed to ongoing debates about knowledge, belief, and certainty. Some details of attribution and interpretation are debated among scholars, but his role in shaping skeptical discourse is broadly recognized.