The Buddhist Pyrrhonism: a comparative approach

Resumo

This paper aims to make a comparative analysis between some general elements of Pyrrhonian philosophy and Buddhist philosophy, with the purpose of observing similarities in both philosophical approaches. These similarities arise as a legacy of the context of expansion of Alexander's Macedonian Empire, in which Pyrrho of Elis is located. The philosopher came into contact with diverse and rich philosophical positions, for instance that of the mendicant sages (śramaṇas) or, as translated in the West, gymnosophists. And the fruits of this contact were brought back to Greece, leading to the development of a new philosophical position. We will limit ourselves to a specific comparison of the fruits of Pyrrho's contact with Buddhism, analyzing the contributions of some Pyrrhonists such as Sextus Empiricus and some Buddhist philosophers such as Nāgārjuna, understanding skeptical elements in the Buddhist position. Furthermore, the philosophers discussed here also seek to develop and live their philosophies in a pragmatic way, understanding them as ways of living based on a therapeutic aspect, with the aim of alleviating suffering. Consequently, these thinkers adopt an anti-metaphysical stance on reality, understanding that it is indeterminate, thus combating the dogmatic eternalist and/or nihilist stance that permeates both Western and Eastern philosophical traditions.