Sextus and Politics

The latest issue of the Italian journal Elenchos (35/2, 2014) contains Stéphane Marchand's "Sextus Empiricus: les effets politiques de la suspension du jugement." It will soon be available on this site; in the meantime here is the abstract: "The aim of this paper is to examine the political implications of Sextus Empiricus’ neo-Pyrrhonism by considering two fundamental texts (PH I 23-24; AM XI 162-165). Both texts are usually interpreted as endorsing political conformism insofar as Sextus allegedly claims that one should follow the laws and customs of one's community. But it seems possible to interpret the reference to laws and customs merely as a description of what humans in fact do. What Sextus would therefore recommend is to abandon any theoretical approach to politics in favor of a pragmatic one."