Scepticism: The Art of Mischief
Philosophy is Comedy - Aristocles the Snowflake - Cleanthes and the Stoic Dullards - Praise and scorn in equal measure
Philosophers are stupid, but let’s not throw rocks at them. Despite my continual jabs at philosophical or theoretically-minded people, I do not wish them harm (beyond a bruised ego, at least). In fact, if possible, I’d like to make them laugh, especially at themselves. The best way to subvert peoples’ dogmas may well be to make them laugh at them. Laughter may make fertile ground for planting doubt.
Most of my last letters have been based on the difficult and dry tomes of Sextus Empiricus, which, unfortunately, are the only extant works we have of classical Pyrrhonian Scepticism1. A predecessor of his and apparently first known follower of Pyrrho was Timon of Phlius, who was a Pyrrhonian poet, playwright and piss-taker whose works, including the Silloi (‘Lampoons’) is lost in all but fragments. In these he took aim at most of his cotemporaries, at a crucial time in the development of Greek philosophy. This is a great shame as not only as they are apparently works of genius, but they are a tendency of Pyrrhonian scepticism which I try to continue in my own clumsy way. We can tell Timon’s work is good as the 1st Century AD Aristotelean philosopher Aristocles describes his work2:
“…but having afterwards fallen in with Pyrrho he composed offensive and vulgar parodies, in which he has reviled all who ever studied philosophy.”
His chagrin is not surprising, Timon having referred to the now revered Aristotle’s works as “Aristotle's painful aimlessness”.
A long-time target of Pyrrhonian sceptics are the Stoics. Why though? Surely the Stoics as we know them are concerned with practical things and living a virtuous life? I’ll perhaps discuss the ancient Stoics’ laughable physics later, but for now know that the Stoics we read today (ie. Marcus Aurelius, Seneca and Epictetus) are mostly applied to practical concerns (modern Stoicism is a sterile philosophy). Ancient Stoics were preoccupied with all branches of philosophy, which was targeted by the Pyrrhonists. Take this swipe3 by Timon at Cleanthes, the second leader of the Stoa:
“Who is this that like a bell-weather ranges over the ranks of men, a dullard, lover of verse, hailing from Assos, a mass of rock, unventuresome.”
The man we now know as the originator of stoicism, the Phoenician Zeno of Citium was also parodied (“no more intelligent than a banjo”) alongside the founding of the whole Stoic school4:
“He assembled a cloud of paupers. The most beggardly and insignificant of townsmen.”
It seems then that nothing is sacred to Timon. Amusing, yes, but his detractors consider him a sort of nihilist in his apparent rejection of the foundations of philosophy. This would be the false impression of a bruised ego. Rather than simply taking a sledgehammer to the great diversity of Greek philosophy in the Hellenic Period, his mockery is handed out with equal praise to those who share his pursuit in sowing doubt at dogmatic beliefs. For example Zeno of Elea, inventor of the famous paradoxes is described5:
“Great Zeno's strength which, never known to fail,
On each side urged, on each side could prevail.”
But he saves his highest regard for Pyrrho6:
“This, Pyrrho, this my heart is fain to know,
Whence peace of mind to thee doth freely flow,
Why among men thou like a god dost show ?”
Humour to a Pyrrhonian sceptic could then be considered a tool, one of many, in our arsenal against dogma. From the dull philosophers and wordsmiths of today, to the tyrannical tendencies that infect all politics. Spread mockery against those who spread their dogmas, but praise for those who help clear our lives of the tyranny of other’s beliefs.
Richard Bett, philosopher and author of How to be a Pyrrhonist, may disagree in my assessment of Sextus as being humourless in his essay Humour as a Philosophical Subversion, which also in partly inspired this letter. I only know Barbaric languages, so the subtle puns Betts refers to are sadly lost to me.
Aristocles in Eusebius of Caesarea Preparatio Evangelica, Chapter 18
Diogenes Laertius, Live of Eminent Philosophers, Book 7, Cleanthes, 170. All the quotes from Timon come from this source. His quotes litter Diogenes’ biographies of ancient philosophers.
Diogenes Laertius, Live of Eminent Philosophers, Book 7, Zeno of Citium, 16
Diogenes Laertius, Live of Eminent Philosophers, Book 9, Zeno of Elea, 25
Diogenes Laertius, Live of Eminent Philosophers, Book 9, Pyrrho, 65