The Modes of Scepticism: Ancient Texts and Modern Interpretations

The Modes of Scepticism is one of the most important and influential of all ancient philosophical texts. The texts made an enormous impact on Western thought when they were rediscovered in the 16th century and they have shaped the whole future course of Western philosophy. Despite their importance, the Modes have been little discussed in recent times. This book translates the texts and supplies them with a discursive commentary, concentrating on philosophical issues but also including historical material. The book will be of interest to professional scholars and philosophers but its clear and non-technical style makes it intelligible to beginners and the interested layman.

1. Sceptical philosophy; 2. Scepticism in ancient philosophy; 3. The ten modes; 4. Humans and other animals; 5. Human variations; 6. The senses; 7. Circumstances; 8. Places and positions; 9. Mixtures; 10. Quantities; 11. Relativity; 12. The common and the rare; 13. Customs and persuasions; Appendix A. Philo and Diogenes on the modes; Appendix B. The eight modes against causal explanations; Appendix C. The five modes of Agrippa; Appendix D. The two modes; Appendix E. Textual notes.