School #46

Pyrrhonism

Pyrrho, Aenesidemus, Sextus Empiricus

Pyrrhonism practices complete suspension of judgment (epoche) about all non-evident matters. For every argument, an equally strong counter-argument can be found. The Pyrrhonist neither affirms nor denies any claim about the hidden nature of reality, seeking tranquility (ataraxia) through the cessation of dogmatic belief.

I. Time

Extent Both
Ontological Status Relational
Grain Continuous
Freedom Non-Deterministic
Traversability Linear
Dimensionality One
Direction Non-directional

Time is relational and infinite — but the Pyrrhonist suspends judgment (epoché) about time's ultimate nature. Whether time is substantival, relational, or emergent cannot be determined with certainty. The Pyrrhonist notes that equally compelling arguments exist for every position on time and therefore withholds assent. Time appears continuous, linear, and uni-directional, but these are appearances about which no definitive claims can be made.

II. Space

Extent Finite
Ontological Status Relational
Curvature Undefined
Dimensionality Three
Locality Local

Space is relational — but its ultimate nature is subject to Pyrrhonian suspension of judgment. Whether space is finite or infinite, flat or curved, cannot be definitively established. The Pyrrhonist observes spatial phenomena without committing to any theory about space's underlying reality. Space appears local and three-dimensional, but these are appearances, not established truths.

III. Matter

Extent Finite
Ontological Status Relational
Conservation Conserved
Dimensionality Three
Locality Local

Matter is relational — but the Pyrrhonist suspends judgment about whether matter exists independently, what it is made of, or whether it is conserved. Equally compelling arguments can be mounted for and against any material theory. The Pyrrhonist lives practically with material appearances while withholding theoretical commitment about their ultimate nature.

IV. Observer

Time Instance Single
Space Instance Single
Extent of Knowledge Immediate
Retainment of Knowledge Total
Physicality Embodied
Agency Passive
Number Plural
Time Instance: Single — the Pyrrhonist lives and perceives in the present moment; no claim is made about the observer's relation to other times
Space Instance: Single — the observer is located in a single place; appearances present themselves from this one vantage point without any assertion about spatial transcendence
Extent of Knowledge: Immediate — the Pyrrhonist reports only how things appear (phainomena) here and now; no claim is made about the nature of things beyond immediate appearance
Retainment of Knowledge: Total — appearances and the observer's responses to them are retained in memory; the Pyrrhonist accumulates a record of how things seem, even while suspending all claims about how they are
Physicality: Embodied — the observer is a living, perceiving, embodied being who follows appearances, customs, and natural drives; Pyrrhonism never posits a disembodied knower
Agency: Passive — the observer does not actively constitute or determine reality; appearances impose themselves on the observer, who receives them without asserting anything beyond their phenomenal character
Consciousness: Present — the observer is conscious and aware of appearances; consciousness is the medium through which phainomena are received, even though its ultimate nature is among the non-evident matters on which judgment is suspended
Number: Plural — multiple observers exist, each receiving their own appearances; Pyrrhonism does not reduce observers to one, nor does it assert a definitive count

V. Energy

Extent Finite
Ontological Status Emergent
Conservation Conserved
Dispersibility Irreversible

Finite and emergent — the Pyrrhonist suspends judgment on whether energy is a fundamental substance; it appears as a feature of observable phenomena without commitment to its ultimate nature. Conservation: Conserved — energy appears to be conserved in observable processes, but the Pyrrhonist makes no dogmatic claim about whether this regularity reflects a deep truth or merely a persistent appearance. Dispersibility: Irreversible — processes appear to run in one direction, but the Pyrrhonist neither affirms nor denies that this reflects an intrinsic feature of reality.

VI. Information

Ontological Status Relational
Conservation Non-conserved
Granularity Continuous

The reliability of all information is suspended — one should withhold judgment about informational claims. The Pyrrhonist neither affirms nor denies any informational content about the world. Information is relational because it depends on the appearances, which are always perspectival. It is non-conserved because if we cannot know what information is real, we cannot know if it persists. It is continuous because the flow of appearances is seamless.

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