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Ataraxia
A Key Pyrrhonist Concept
The Greek philosophical concept of ataraxia has drawn quite a bit of attention recently among Medium.com writers, such as in these articles:
Ataraxia, Neuroscience, Rock Climbing, the Bhagavad Gita and Zen
As ataraxia is a central concept in Pyrrhonism, it seems that this is a good time for an article about the role of ataraxia in Pyrrhonism.
While among ancient Greek philosophers there was agreement about what ataraxia meant, its role varied among the philosophical systems that incorporated the concept: Pyrrhonism, Epicureanism, and Stoicism.
What is Ataraxia?
The Greek term, ataraxia, is a negation of the term tarachē, which means “disturbance” or “trouble.” The term has since been adopted into English, but English translations of the term include “imperturbability,” “equanimity,” and “tranquility.”
The term was brought into philosophy by Pyrrho to denote a lucid state of robust equanimity characterized by ongoing freedom from distress and worry. In previous non-philosophical usage, the term was used to describe the ideal mental state for soldiers entering battle. Pyrrho was well-acquainted with this, as he developed his philosophy — Pyrrhonism — while he was a member of Alexander the Great’s…
