Suspension of judgment

In ancient skepticism, particularly within Pyrrhonism, epoché refers to the suspension of judgment regarding any given claim or belief. The term derives from the Greek ἐποχή, meaning “a stopping” or “cessation.” Pyrrhonist skeptics like Sextus Empiricus observed that whenever conflicting arguments of equal strength (isostheneia) arise, one can neither confirm nor deny a definitive truth. In response to this equipollence of perspectives, they proposed suspending judgment—epoché—as the most rational stance. By neither affirming nor rejecting propositions that extend beyond direct experience or obvious truths, skeptics aim to avoid the distress associated with dogmatic beliefs. The result is a state of mental tranquility (*ataraxia*), in which the individual refrains from making absolute assertions and remains open to continual inquiry.