SMS

"Scepticism, metaphysics and sciences"

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'Metaphysics is not recognized as a branch of philosophy in Ancient Greece, and Sextus Empiricus is not an exception in this sense; indeed, his attack on dogmatic philosophy is launched from the perspective of the traditional tripartition of philosophy into logic, physics and ethics. However, several parts of Sextus’ work deal with matters that we would count as metaphysical, in particular the passages where he discusses the dogmatic conceptions of the principles of sciences, of parts and whole, and of time and space. In all these passages, the background of Sextus’ attack is provided by claims of Plato and Aristotle, a fact all the more remarkable if one considers that when it came to attacking dogmatic Logic, Physics and Ethics the Stoics were mostly his privileged target. On the dogmatic side, the Platonists and Aristotelians of the Imperial period discussed the metaphysical subjects attacked by Sextus. Thus, it is worth reading Sextus’ attack in the light of Imperial Platonism and Aristotelianism. Yet this line of inquiry has been little pursued. My project ‘Scepticism, metaphysics and sciences’ aims to deepen our understanding of the connection between Scepticism and metaphysics at the beginning of the common era by dealing with the three topics I mentioned above: the principles of sciences, parts and wholes, space and time. The first part of my research will analyse the dialectic between Aristotle and his disciple Alexander of Aphrodisias on the one hand, and Sextus on the other, in relation to the crucial question on the existence of the principles of sciences and the possibility of knowing them. The second part will deal with the debate opposing Sextus to his Platonist rivals on the notions of parts and whole. Finally, the third part will provide a comparative analysis of the attack launched by Sextus on the dogmatic notions of space and time and of the relevant Peripatetic texts.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

Research into scepticism, metaphysics and sciences aimed at enhancing our understanding of the connection between scepticism and metaphysics at the beginning of the Common Era. The approach covered the three topics of the principles of sciences, parts and wholes, and space and time.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

The 'Scepticism, metaphysics and sciences' (SMS) project undertook a systematic analysis of relevant texts. Results and findings have been presented and discussed at seminars in Paris and at international conferences in Geneva, Leuven, Liege, Oxford, Paris and Venice.

Study of the discussions and examinations of the opposing thoughts of scepticism and dogmatism concerning the principles of sciences culminated in two article publications and a book contribution. Research into the connections between scepticism and metaphysics also helped prepare a new English introduction, translation and commentary of Sextus Empiricus' treatise 'Against the Arithmeticians'. The manuscript proposal for this volume has been accepted for review by Brill's editorial board with a view to publication in the series 'Philosophia Antiqua'. Project inquiry also resulted in another article, 'Sextus, the Dyad and the Phaedo', to be published as part of the 'Ancient Readings of Plato's Phaedo'.

Overall, the project's study efforts strengthened the philological approach to studying ancient texts, and highlighted inadequacies of the standard edition of Sextus' opus. This prompted SMS to outline a separate project for a new edition of Sextus; it is considered of major importance for the history of ancient philosophy, and the proposal for such a publication is likely to be well received.