Microfiction: Perplexed about Pyrrhonism

Two weeks ago, the first-year philosophy students at the University of Essex discussed the possibility of enquiry and Pyrrhonian scepticism. It resulted in some interesting microfiction.

While scepticism tends to be defined as the idea that knowledge is impossible, Pyrrhonian scepticism would not even make that statement, as one cannot even know that. Instead, the Pyrrhonian sceptic way of life is one of suspending judgment: accepting the appearances of life as they appear to us without making any judgment about their being real or unreal. This, Sextus Empiricus tells us, will ultimately lead to tranquillity.

Socrates shares with this scepticism the idea that we should not just take things to be true or real. The way things appear to us will perplex us. But for Socrates, this is the path to knowledge. We have to be perplexed before we can really think about things, because thinking that we already know things when we actually do not will definitely not help us any further.

This week's microfiction assignment was as follows:

In 10 words or fewer, write down what Socrates thinks of perplexity.

OR

In 10 words or fewer, write down the sceptic way of life.

And this is what my students came up with:

"Perplexity is good as it gives us the desire to seek." (11 words)

"Perplexity is the tool that drives us to seek knowledge."

"Socrates believes perplexity is good, it encourages us to seek."

"Perplexity motivates us to seek for the truth by doubting."

"Deny everything, attain tranquility."

"A skeptic lives to question how we see the world."

"Sceptic way of life equation: suspended jugdement, continued inquiry = tranquility."

"I'm suspending my judgement on whether this microfiction is real."

"Real or unreal? Both; neither; let's go get an ice cream!"

Do you think these are good descriptions of Socrates's view on perplexity and of the Pyrrhonian sceptic way of life?