HPhil Seminar: April 18, 2024

The HPhil (History of Philosophy) Research Group of the Centre of Philosophy of the University of Lisbon announces the 2023/24 edition of its permanent seminar on the history of philosophy, devoted to the presentation of conferences by renowned specialists while also creating opportunities to emerging scholars, aiming to promote advanced studies in groundbreaking debates and the permanent training of its academic community.

In this session of the seminar, Ugo Zilioli (Oxford University) will present a paper, entitled “Pyrrho between East and West. On the Aristocles passage, once again.”, (abstract below)

The session will take place on April 18, 2024 at 5 p.m., in the Room C201.J (Room Mattos Romão, Department of Philosophy). Admission is free.

Abstract

The paper deals, once again, with the most substantial source on Pyrrho’s philosophy, that is, a passage taken from Eusebius of Caesarea reporting some sections of Aristocles’ On Philosophy. I survey the pros and cons of the metaphysical as well as of the epistemological reading of that passage. I argue that if we look at only the logic of the text, we shall be trapped into a sort of undecidability that is one of the hallmarks of later Pyrrhonism. To argue for a metaphysical reading of the Aristocles passage, I propose to look East, at some close analogies with early Buddhism.