Taking Sides Case Analysis one – Avon Products, Inc.:

The basic feeling behind ancient skepticism is that nothing can be known for certain suggesting that we should accept the world as is and reject statements of dogmatic truth. Even though skeptics cast doubt on our ability to gain knowledge, the term skeptic encompasses a broad range of attitudes and positions. What leads most skeptics to begin to examine is the never-ending disagreement regarding issues of philosophical importance. The question we must ask ourselves is whether it is possible to live the life of a skeptic. Sextus Empiricus clearly would say yes arguing that through the ten modes we reach the suspension of judgment, which ultimately leads to tranquility of mind (atoraxia). Though Sextus makes much of the skeptic’s open-minded attitude about the possibility of refraining from truth, the arguments that he and other ancient skeptics used raise valid questions about any claim to truth. The attractiveness of Hellenistic Skepticism stems from the fact that the skeptic will not assent to any situation, rather they will argue both sides equally and conclude that nothing exists. By withholding assent, Hellenistic Skepticism became appealing to individuals of this time because without beliefs you were free from anxiety, which results a state of peaceful happiness. In spite of Hellenistic Skepticisms appeal, the continuous impact of social change on society has made it impossible to be active in everyday life and adhere to the principles of skepticism.

Hellenistic Skepticism encompassed two schools of ancient philosophy: Academic and Pyrrhonian. Pyrrhonism flourished during the first century B.C. influencing later intellectuals such as Aenesidemus and Sextus Empiricus. After abandoning Academic skepticism, Aenesidemus helped revive the Pyrrhonism movement by coming up the Ten Tropes for the suspension of judgment. The first mode claims that it is not reasonable to suppose that the way the world appears to humans is any more accurate than the way it appears to animals. Sextus Empiricus further elaborates on this mode reasoning that it will force us to suspend judgment on the nature of things. If, for example, eating hay appears gross to humans but appetizing to horses, we are not able to say that it is either gross or appetizing. It is no more appetizing than not appetizing and no more gross than not gross. The second mode expands our understanding of the first mode by noting the disagreements among the same species. A good example of the second mode is the skeptics’ position versus the stoics’ position. The third mode continues with the same logic developed in the first two by looking at the incompatibility of senses. In each of the ten modes Aenesidemus validates that we cannot know what the nature or essence of something is or even whether it has one.

Hellenistic skeptics sparked considerable interest in the pursuit of knowledge and whether it was actually attainable. The skeptics’ felt by abandoning the desire for knowledge, there was no motivation to attain it. Skeptics were troubled by the disparities in Aenesidemus’ modes and sought to determine which appearances actually revealed reality. The skeptics’ motivation lies behind the goal to become tranquil, which is achieved by freeing yourself from the pressuring views of the world. As the skeptic attempts to take a position, they find an equally convincing account for the opposing view and find no other choice but to suspend judgment. Since the skeptic cannot arrive at a conclusion, the tranquility that is supposed to come from the truth ironically comes from suspending judgment. The skeptics have found that desired tranquility does not come from giving up on the pursuit of truth, but rather by giving up the expectation that we must attain the truth to get tranquility. The effortless path to tranquility and freedom from anxiety is what makes Hellenistic Skepticism so appealing. For example, suppose a skeptic has an issue with people that believe things are good or bad by nature. If one lacks what they believe to be good in life, then there life is incomplete and the individual struggles a great deal to obtain those things. At the same time, once one finally acquires what he/she believes to be good the individual expends considerable time and effort trying to hold those things in the fear of losing them.

For the practice of skepticism to lead to the suspension of judgment and afterwards tranquility, the skeptic must live a life without beliefs. Living a life without beliefs warrants us to withhold judgment as to whether objects really are as they appear.

According to Sextus, the skeptic guides his actions by (1) nature, (2) necessitation by feelings, (3) laws and customs, and (4) kinds of expertise (Burnyeat, 126). Nature guides our actions by providing us with the ability for perception as mentioned in the ten modes. Feelings of necessity like hunger and thirst