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Sextus Empiricus

Against the Professors, Books I-VI of Against the Learned Section 39

Section 39 of 757

Canonical reference 1.39

Ancient Greek

Hermann Mutschmann and Jürgen Mau, editors · adversus-grc

ἀλλʼ ἐπεὶ οὐ καθολικὴν μόνον πρὸς πάντας τοὺς μαθηματικοὺς ὑπεσχόμεθα ποιήσασθαι τὴν ἀντίρρησιν ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰδικω- τέραν πρὸς ἕκαστον, ὑποτιθέμενοι τὸ εἶναί τι μάθημα καὶ δυνατὴν ὑπάρχειν τὴν μάθησιν, σκοπῶμεν εἰ καὶ τὸ ἑκάστου μαθήματος ἐπάγγελμα δυνατόν ἐστι, λαμβάνον- τες πρὸς τοὺς ἐλέγχους μὴ πάντα τὰ παρὰ τοῖς ἐλεγχομέ- νοις λεγόμενα (τοῦτο γὰρ σὺν τῷ περισκελές καὶ ἀμέθοδον εἷναι τάχα καὶ ἀδύνατόν ἐστι),

English AI-generated translation, non-official

Codex gpt-5.6-sol · Non-official working translation · 2026-09-11

But since we promised to make not only a universal objection against all professors, but also a more specific one against each, let us suppose that some branch of learning exists and that learning is possible, and examine whether the profession of each branch is itself possible. For our refutations we shall take neither everything said by those under examination, since this would be not only laborious and methodless but perhaps impossible,

French AI-generated translation, non-official

Codex gpt-5.6-sol · Non-official working translation · 2026-09-11

Mais puisque nous avons promis de diriger contre tous les spécialistes des disciplines non seulement une objection générale, mais aussi une objection particulière contre chacun, supposons qu’un enseignement existe et que l’apprentissage soit possible. Examinons alors si la prétention propre à chaque discipline est elle aussi réalisable. Pour nos réfutations, nous ne retiendrons pas tout ce que disent ceux que nous réfutons, car cette entreprise, en plus d’être interminable et dépourvue de méthode, serait peut-être impossible.

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