For the Love of Humanity
How love can help heal society of dogmatism
Pyrrhonism doesn’t seem like a loving philosophy to many who encounter it. Some might even perceive it as cold and apathetic. When we are reminded that Pyrrhonists lack beliefs about whether things are good or bad by nature, it’s easy to depict them this way. But questioning whether there is a moral code written into the fabric of reality doesn’t imply that one should deny their humanity, nor that they would choose to do so. To the contrary, Sextus Empiricus (the only ancient Pyrrhonist whose works have survived) says something rather profound at the end of his Outlines: the very words that have inspired this publication:
“Because of his love of humanity the Skeptic wishes to cure by argument, so far as he can, the conceit and precipitancy of the Dogmatists.”
Sextus seems to be presenting a need to combat dogmatism, though I don’t mean “combat” in the sense of destroying someone in an argument. The need to cure by argument isn’t motivated by the desire to be right—Pyrrhonists are perfectly fine with not having the answers. It should also be noted that Sextus isn’t using logic or reason to justify this need. He is simply pointing out what’s evident to him: his love of humanity.
Pyrrhonists accept what appears. We passively receive appearances that lead us to involuntarily assent to them—something no one seems to dispute. Since we cannot be wholly inactive, Pyrrhonists live without dogmas by following appearances. This can include things like sensations, thoughts, compulsions, customs, laws, and skills. In the case of loving humanity, Sextus seems to portray love as a perception that compels us to act. He isn’t commanding us to “love thy neighbor,” but merely observing our capacity to love.
When we love someone, it follows that we also don’t want them to fall prey to misery, deception, polarization, or extremism. To Pyrrhonists, these all-too-relevant issues appear as symptoms of dogmatism, which compels them to cure others. In this sense, Sextus portrays Pyrrhonists not as culture warriors, but as benefactors of humanity.
Yet often, in their attempts to fix the world’s problems, people lead not with love but with arrogance and rashness. This leaves them vulnerable to dogmas that lead them to abandon their humanity, as in the case of extremists. Fascinatingly, it seems that approaching our conversations through love might be the key to combating these dogmas. An inspiring example of this can be found in the musician and activist Daryl Davis, a Black man who has convinced over 200 members of the Ku Klux Klan to shed their racism. The secret to his success resembles the love for humanity that Sextus speaks of. Davis tells us quite plainly:
“Everybody wants to be loved. They want to be respected. They want to be heard. They want to be treated fairly and truthfully. And they want the same things for their family as we want for ours.”
Davis approaches his conversations not by making claims or debunking them, but by seeking understanding. He asks klansmen, “Why do you hate me if you don’t even know me?” He then gives them the space to be heard, making sure they feel like they’re being treated fairly. Davis recognizes that no one wants to be deceived. Indeed, we all want to be guided by honesty. Yet we often speak to people as if they chose to be misled. Pyrrhonists view this tendency as a symptom of a disease, and as a result have more compassionate (and therefore more productive) conversations with dogmatists.
This is not to say we should love extremists. Pyrrhonists make no normative claims about what we should or shouldn’t do. But we do accept what appears useful in practice. And in this case, it seems useful to treat others with love and respect when combating dogmatism—even if the person we’re talking to doesn’t love us back.
