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How to Keep an Open Mind

An Ancient Guide to Thinking Like a Skeptic
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( 167 ratings, 23 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
How to Keep an Open Mind by Sextus Empiricus delves into the ancient philosophy of scepticism, exploring the practices of questioning and doubting knowledge. Through the lens of philosophical inquiry, it examines how one can suspend judgment and achieve tranquillity by refusing to accept anything without sufficient evidence. This work encourages readers to entertain various perspectives, nurturing a mindset open to diverse possibilities.
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Format: Hardback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might like this book if you enjoy exploring ancient philosophical ideas and appreciate a sceptical approach to knowledge and understanding. It offers insights from one of history's significant sceptics, encouraging readers to examine their beliefs and assumptions critically. Ideal for those interested in the intersections of philosophy and psychology, it's a fascinating exploration of how keeping an open mind can be a path to wisdom.

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How ancient skepticism can help you attain tranquility by learning to suspend judgmentAlong with Stoicism and Epicureanism, Skepticism is one of the three major schools of ancient Greek philosophy that claim to offer a way of living as well as thinking. How to Keep an Open Mind provides an unmatched introduction to skepticism by presenting a fr

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Along with Stoicism and Epicureanism, Skepticism is one of the three major schools of ancient Greek philosophy that claim to offer a way of living as well as thinking. How to Keep an Open Mind provides an unmatched introduction to skepticism by presenting a fresh, modern translation of key passages from the writings of Sextus Empiricus, the only Greek skeptic whose works have survived.

While content in daily life to go along with things as they appear to be, Sextus advocatedโ€”and provided a set of techniques to achieveโ€”a radical suspension of judgement about the way things really are, believing that such nonjudging can be useful for challenging the unfounded dogmatism of others and may help one achieve a state of calm and tranquillity. In an introduction, Richard Bett makes the case that the most important lesson we can draw from Sextus's brand of skepticism today may be an ability to see what can be said on the other side of any issue, leading to a greater open-mindedness.

Complete with the original Greek on facing pages, How to Keep an Open Mind offers a compelling antidote to the closed-minded dogmatism of today's polarised world.

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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

How to Keep an Open Mind offers a modern introduction to skepticism, presenting it as a vital tool for thinking in a divided world.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780691206042

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 13 April 2021

Country: United States

Imprint: Princeton University Press

Contributors:

  • Translated with commentary by Richard Bett
  • Edited and translated by Richard Bett

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 114.0mm

Height: 171.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 280

About the Author

Richard Bett is professor of philosophy and classics at Johns Hopkins University. He edited The Cambridge Companion to Ancient Scepticism and has published widely on the subject. He lives in Baltimore, Maryland.

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