Pyrrho

Pyrrho (Gr. Pyrrhōn), the founder of a school of Greek scepticism, named after him, was a native of Elis, born in the third quarter of the 4th century B.C. A pupil of Anaxarchus, he followed him when he went in the train of Alexander to Asia and India. He lived to be ninety years old. Our knowledge of his teaching is derived principally from his pupil, Timon 'the Sillograph' (i.e. writer of silloi, 'satiric poems'); he himself left no writings. Pyrrho taught that we can know nothing of the nature of things, but that the best mental attitude is suspense of judgment, which brings with it calmness of mind. Pyrrhonism is often regarded as the ne plus ultra of (philosophical) scepticism: consistent Pyrrhonists were said even to doubt that they doubted.