Maia Neto traces Machado's particular brand of skepticism to that of the philosopher Pyrrho of Elis and reveals the modern sources through which he inherited that line of thought.

He then shows how Machado's own philosophical development (as seen primarily through his fiction) follows the stages proposed by Pyrrho and his followers for the development of a skeptical worldview: flight from hypocritical society in favor of domestic quietude; investigation of manipulative social interactions; suspension of judgment; and mental tranquility.

The study points out how characters during different phases of the author's career tend to exemplify the stages in the development of a skeptical philosophy. Maia Neto also examines the development of the skeptical perspective at the formal level of Machado's work. The fictional discourse and the narrator's point of view are progressively adjusted to the skeptical perspective.

For those who study literature, Machado de Assis, the Brazilian Pyrrhonian provides a foundation for understanding one of the most important writers of the Americas. For philosophers, the book reveals a fascinating worldview, thoroughly rooted in the traditions of ancient skepticism.