How to Keep an Open Mind
An Ancient Guide to Thinking Like a Skeptic

This entry in the Ancient Wisdom for Modern Readers series is a partial translation of Sextus Empiricus' Outlines of Pyrrhonism, a classic of skeptic literature translated by Richard Bett. I enjoyed both the translation and the introduction to Skepticism that precedes it, but I think some of the tra......more

This is a very interesting book. It seems to have two target audiences. One is just your regular person with some interest in ancient philosophy, who can learn some practical wisdom and maybe get a general idea of how the ancients thought. The other audience are advanced students, particularly gradu......more

This is a well-curated selection of the extant writings of Sextus Empiricus. Richard Bett's introduction and notes provide an excellent context to the work, along with a thoughtful discussion on how to incorporate features of Sextus' thinking in the present day. Sextus' philosophy is quite fascinatin......more

I am always skeptical of books that purport to distill a subject with abridged selections of an original text, but true to the philosophy of Sextus Empiricus, I tried to suspend judgment. Perhaps I didn't learn properly from the master, because I came quickly to the conclusion that this book was not......more

I'm torn with this one. Lets start with the positives. The ideas within Sextus' writings are profound and an interesting window into how eastern thought blended with the west, through a chance encounter with naked men in India. This is how the Romans presumably red-pilled themselves. His ideas will......more