The Cambridge Companion to Ancient Scepticism (Cambridge Companions to Philosophy)

This volume offers a comprehensive survey of the main periods, schools, and individual proponents of scepticism in the ancient Greek and Roman world. The contributors examine the major developments chronologically and historically, ranging from the early antecedents of scepticism to the Pyrrhonist tradition. They address the central philosophical and interpretive problems surrounding the sceptics' ideas on subjects including belief, action, and ethics. Finally, they explore the effects which these forms of scepticism had beyond the ancient period, and the ways in which ancient scepticism differs from scepticism as it has been understood since Descartes. The volume will serve as an accessible and wide-ranging introduction to the subject for non-specialists, while also offering considerable depth and detail for more advanced readers. - Publisher. The Cambridge Companion to ANCIENT SCEPTICISM......Page 6 Introduction......Page 14 1 Antecedents in early Greek philosophy......Page 24 2 Pyrrho and early Pyrrhonism......Page 47 3 Arcesilaus and Carneades......Page 69 4 The sceptical Academy: decline and afterlife......Page 92 5 Aenesidemus and the rebirth of Pyrrhonism......Page 116 6 Sextus Empiricus......Page 131 7 Scepticism and belief......Page 154 8 Scepticism and action......Page 174 9 Scepticism and ethics......Page 190 10 Academics versus Pyrrhonists, reconsidered......Page 204 11 The Pyrrhonian Modes......Page 217 12 Pyrrhonism and medicine......Page 241 13 Pyrrhonism and the specialized sciences......Page 258 14 The rediscovery and posthumous influence of scepticism......Page 274 15 Descartes’ transformation of the sceptical tradition......Page 295 bibliography......Page 321 index......Page 353

This volume offers a comprehensive survey of the main periods, schools and individual proponents of scepticism in the ancient Greek and Roman world. The contributors examine the major developments chronologically and historically, ranging from the early antecedents of scepticism to the Pyrrhonist tradition. They address the central philosophical and interpretive problems surrounding the sceptics' ideas on subjects including belief, action, and ethics. Finally, they explore the effects which these forms of scepticism had beyond the ancient period, and the ways in which ancient scepticism differs from scepticism as it has been understood since Descartes. The volume will serve as an accessible and wide-ranging introduction to the subject for non-specialists, while also offering considerable depth and detail for more advanced readers.

Antecedents in early Greek philosophy / Mi-Kyoung Lee Pyrrho and early Pyrrhonism / Svavar Hrafn Svavarsson Arcesilaus and Carneades / Harald Thorsrud The sceptical Academy: decline and afterlife / Carlos Lévy Aenesidemus and the rebirth of Pyrrhonism / R.J. Hankinson Sextus Empiricus / Pierre Pellegrin Scepticism and belief / Casey Perin Scepticism and action / Katja Maria Vogt Scepticism and ethics / Richard Bett Academics versus Pyrrhonists, reconsidered / Gisela Striker The Pyrrhonian Modes / Paul Woodruff Pyrrhonism and medicine / James Allen Pyrrhonism and the specialized sciences / Emidio Spinelli The rediscovery and posthumous influence of scepticism / Luciano Floridi Descartes' transformation of the sceptical tradition / Michael Williams. This work offers a survey of the main periods, schools and individual proponents of scepticism in the ancient Greek and Roman worlds. It examines major developments from the early antecedents of scepticism to the Pyrrhonist tradition and addresses the central philosophical and interpretive problems surrounding the sceptics' ideas