Pyrrhonian Argumentative Analysis
The method of skeptical inquiry or way by which Pyrrhonian skeptics bring themselves to withhold assent to every non evident proposition is known as the modes of suspension of judgment. There are five such modes that Sextus provides and they are based on: Discrepancy, regress ad infinitum, relativity, hypothesis and circular reasoning. (Empiricus, 165–169) The modes are designed to assist Pyrrhonian skeptics in in continuing their inquiry by guarding themselves from the disquieting state of dogmatism. For the sake of argument, suppose there is a dogmatist who believes that P. In order to avoid the snares of dogmatism, the Pyrrhonian skeptic would resort to withhold assent about P. According to the mode deriving from discrepancy, due to an undecidable
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Using the regress ad infinitum mode, the skeptic will then point out that for q to support truth of p, we have to know truth of q. So, judgement must be suspended when the proof, which is brought forward as a source of conviction itself needs another such source to justify its truth, thus not being able to reach a point to establish anything. As regards the remaining three modes, in the mode based upon relativity, the existing object appears to be such-and-such relative to the subject judging and to the things observed together with it, but we suspend judgement on what is its true nature; the mode based on hypothesis, is whereby the Dogmatists begin from something which they do not establish but assume simply without proof when being forced to recede ad infinitum; The circularity mode occurs when what is supposed to be affirmatory of the object under investigation needs to be made convincing by the object under investigation; then being unable to take either in order to establish the other, we suspend judgement about both. For every reason the dogmatist generates, there is a mode which will force him into either an apparently infinite regress or an arbitrary assertion or begging the
Using the regress ad infinitum mode, the skeptic will then point out that for q to support truth of p, we have to know truth of q. So, judgement must be suspended when the proof, which is brought forward as a source of conviction itself needs another such source to justify its truth, thus not being able to reach a point to establish anything. As regards the remaining three modes, in the mode based upon relativity, the existing object appears to be such-and-such relative to the subject judging and to the things observed together with it, but we suspend judgement on what is its true nature; the mode based on hypothesis, is whereby the Dogmatists begin from something which they do not establish but assume simply without proof when being forced to recede ad infinitum; The circularity mode occurs when what is supposed to be affirmatory of the object under investigation needs to be made convincing by the object under investigation; then being unable to take either in order to establish the other, we suspend judgement about both. For every reason the dogmatist generates, there is a mode which will force him into either an apparently infinite regress or an arbitrary assertion or begging the