Pyrrho
Who was Pyrrho?
Greek philosopher and founder of Pyrrhonism (c.360-c.270 BC)
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Pyrrho (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Pyrrho of Elis was a Greek philosopher, born around 360 BC and living until about 270 BC. He is known as the founder of Pyrrhonism, a skeptical philosophical school that had a strong impact on both ancient and modern thought. He was from Elis, a small city-state in western Peloponnese, and developed an approach focused on suspending judgment (epoché) and seeking tranquility (ataraxia) by acknowledging that it is impossible to attain certain knowledge about reality. Pyrrho questioned the reliability of sensory experiences and rational arguments, which led to a balanced mental state by accepting uncertainty.
Unlike many ancient philosophers, Pyrrho didn't write anything down, so our understanding of his ideas comes mainly from his student Timon of Phlius and later sources like Sextus Empiricus. Reports suggest that Pyrrho traveled with Alexander the Great on his eastern campaigns, where he met Indian philosophers and gymnosophists, whose ideas may have influenced his skepticism. This interaction with different philosophical traditions seems to have strengthened his belief that the variety of beliefs and customs across cultures showed that determining absolute truth is impossible.
Pyrrho's method involved making equally strong arguments for both sides of any issue, showing that solid cases could be made for contradictory positions. This technique, called isosthenia, was meant to cause epoché, or the suspension of judgment, which Pyrrho thought would lead to ataraxia, a state of calm tranquility. He applied this skeptical method not just to metaphysical questions but also to ethical and practical ones, suggesting that since we can't be certain about what's truly good or bad, we should stay indifferent to external circumstances.
Stories about Pyrrho describe him as living by his philosophical principles, showing indifference to usual distinctions like safety and danger, honor and disgrace, or pleasure and pain. While these accounts may be exaggerated, they show how his skepticism turned into a practical lifestyle. After returning to Elis, Pyrrho spent his final years teaching and living according to his beliefs, earning enough respect from his community that they made him a high priest and exempted philosophers from taxes in his honor.
Before Fame
Pyrrho's early life in Elis is largely a mystery, but he was born during a time of major political and cultural changes in the Greek world. The 4th century BC saw the decline of traditional city-state independence after the Peloponnesian War and the rise of Macedonian power under Philip II and his son, Alexander the Great. During this time, people increasingly questioned long-standing religious and philosophical beliefs, opening the way for new ideas.
Pyrrho's rise in the world of philosophy started when he joined Alexander the Great's expedition to the East, probably as part of the intellectual group that traveled with them. This journey introduced him to Persian, Indian, and other non-Greek philosophical traditions, especially the teachings of Indian ascetics known as gymnosophists. These experiences with very different worldviews and his observations of cultural differences in beliefs and practices seem to have inspired him to develop a skeptical philosophy, prompting him to doubt whether it's possible to have certain knowledge about essential questions of existence and morality.
Key Achievements
- Founded Pyrrhonism, the first systematic school of skeptical philosophy in ancient Greece
- Developed the philosophical method of epoché (suspension of judgment) as a path to ataraxia (tranquility)
- Established the practice of isosthenia, presenting equipollent arguments to demonstrate the impossibility of certain knowledge
- Influenced the development of Academic skepticism and later philosophical traditions through his radical questioning of knowledge claims
- Created a practical philosophy of life based on indifference to external circumstances and acceptance of uncertainty
Did You Know?
- 01.Pyrrho reportedly maintained such strict indifference to danger that his friends had to follow him around to prevent him from walking off cliffs or into traffic, living out his philosophical principles of equipoise toward all external circumstances.
- 02.The citizens of Elis were so impressed by Pyrrho's philosophical reputation that they made him high priest and passed a decree exempting all philosophers from taxation in his honor.
- 03.Despite founding one of the most influential schools of ancient skepticism, Pyrrho wrote no philosophical treatises, believing that written doctrine would contradict his principle of suspending judgment on all matters.
- 04.Pyrrho's encounter with Indian gymnosophists during Alexander's campaigns may have influenced his development of skeptical philosophy, as these ascetics practiced forms of philosophical detachment similar to his later teachings.
- 05.The term 'Pyrrhonian skepticism' became synonymous with radical doubt in later philosophical traditions, influencing thinkers from the Renaissance through the Enlightenment, including Montaigne and Descartes.