Pyrrho, His Antecedents, and His Legacy
ISBN: , SKU: , AUTHong>ORong>: Bett, Richard, PUBLISHER: Oxfong>orong>d University Press, USA, Richard Bett presents a ground-breaking study of Pyrrho of Elis, who lived in the late fourth ong>andong> early third centuries BC ong>andong> is the supposed ong>orong>iginatong>orong> of Greek scepticism. In the absence of surviving wong>orong>ks by Pyrrho, scholars have tended to treat ong>hisong> thought as essentially the same as the long subsequent sceptical tradition which styled itself "Pyrrhonism." Bett argues, on the contrary, that Pyrrho's philosophy was significantly different from tong>hisong> later tradition, ong>andong> offers the first detailed account of that philosophy in tong>hisong> light. Bett considers why Pyrrho was adopted as the figurehead fong>orong> that tradition. Bett also investigates the ong>orong>igins ong>andong> antecedents of Pyrrho's ideas; in particular, Plato is singled out as an impong>orong>tant inspiration. The result is the first comprehensive picture of tong>hisong> key figure in the development of philosophy. The new claims that Bett puts fong>orong>ward have majong>orong> implications fong>orong> the ong>hisong>tong>orong>y ong>andong> interpretation of ancient Greek thought.