How to Keep an Open Mind: An Ancient Guide to Thinking Like a Skeptic

by Sextus Empiricus

Overview

How ancient skepticism can help you attain tranquility by learning to suspend judgment

Along with Stoicism and Epicureanism, Skepticism is one of the three major schools of ancient Greek philosophy that claim to offer a way of living as well as thinking. How to Keep an Open Mind provides an unmatched introduction to skepticism by presenting a fresh, modern translation of key passages from the writings of Sextus Empiricus, the only Greek skeptic whose works have survived.

While content in daily life to go along with things as they appear to be, Sextus advocated—and provided a set of techniques to achieve—a radical suspension of judgment about the way things really are, believing that such nonjudging can be useful for challenging the unfounded dogmatism of others and may help one achieve a state of calm and tranquility. In an introduction, Richard Bett makes the case that the most important lesson we can draw from Sextus’s brand of skepticism today may be an ability to see what can be said on the other side of any issue, leading to a greater open-mindedness.

Complete with the original Greek on facing pages, How to Keep an Open Mind offers a compelling antidote to the closed-minded dogmatism of today’s polarized world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780691206042
Publisher:	Princeton University Press
Publication date:	04/13/2021
Series:	Ancient Wisdom for Modern Readers
Pages:	280
Sales rank:	1,026,367
Product dimensions:	4.70(w) x 6.90(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Richard Bett is professor of philosophy and classics at Johns Hopkins University. He edited The Cambridge Companion to Ancient Scepticism and has published widely on the subject. He lives in Baltimore, Maryland.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments vii

Introduction ix

Note on the Translation xliii

How to Keep an Open Mind

Chapter 1 Skepticism: The Big Picture 1

Chapter 2 Arguments to Have Up Your Sleeve: The Modes 39

Chapter 3 Talking and Thinking Like a Skeptic (and Not Like Anyone Else) 87

Chapter 4 Going After the Other Philosophers: Logic 117

Chapter 5 Going After the Other Philosophers: Physics 151

Chapter 6 Going After the Other Philosophers: Ethics 181

Glossary 199

Persons Referred To 203

Notes 207

Further Reading 221

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“In a world overflowing with information, ‘What should I believe?’ can be a daunting question. The ancient philosopher Sextus Empiricus addresses this issue, asking, what if the pressure to form beliefs is itself a major source of distress and turmoil in our lives? This accessible, engaging translation of key parts of Sextus’s most famous work shows how to achieve a more tranquil life by suspending judgment and keeping an open mind.”—Christiana Olfert, Tufts University

"This excellent volume offers a timely introduction to ancient skepticism, which argues that much of our anguish and conflict is the product of dogmatism and that only an open mind can lead to tranquility. This is surely a message for our times.”—John Sellars, author of The Pocket Stoic

Editorial Reviews

"[How to Keep an Open Mind] gives a modern audience an accessible introduction to the school of thought, and shows us a better way to think about skepticism in a radically polarized world."—-Steven Gambardella, The Sophist (Medium)

From the Publisher