Skepticism

Skepticism or scepticism (Greek skeptomai: to consider, to examine) refers to any view involving doubt. People who have skepticism as an attitude, opinion, or method are called skeptics or sceptics.

 Definition 
Skepticism can be defined this way:
 An attitude of doubt about whether something exists
 A doubt about whether something can be known for certain
 A doubt about whether we are correct in arguing a certain way
 A practical method of suspended judgment, systematic doubt or criticism

Origin

Skepticism is not just a belief that something is incorrect. It is a system of thought which acts against superstitions and rumours. Characteristic of skepticism is the attitude that any statement is judged on the evidence for or against its truth.

Ancient Greece  

Skepticism on philosophy has its roots in ancient Greek philosophy. Long A.A. 1974. Hellenistic philosophy.
 Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy


Sophists

The Greek Sophists of the 5th century BC, such as Protagoras of Abdera (480 – 411 BC), were mostly skeptics. Gorgias (485 – 380 BC) said, "Nothing exists; if anything does exist, it cannot be known; if anything exists and can be known, it cannot be communicated". 

In the 4th century, BC, Pyrrho of Elis (c. 360 – 275 BC), who travelled and studied as far as India, adopted practical skepticism. Carneades (c. 213 – 129 BC) disagreed that things were completely true or false. He criticized the Dogmatists, especially Stoics. He said that completely certain knowledge is impossible. Sextus Empiricus (c. 3rd century), the main authority for Greek skepticism, brought together empiricism into the basis for stating knowledge.

Ancient China

Skepticism comes from Asian philosophy, too. The Chinese philosopher Zhuangzi (c369–c286 BC) said that what seems real could be just a dream. In Indian philosophy, the Cārvāka school thought that we should neither try to infer knowledge nor trust what other people tell us. In Buddhism, Nāgārjuna said that nothing exists by itself, and that this idea is an important part of enlightenment.

Modern France

The most important part of the argument is that unless we know something for certain, then we cannot know anything. The interest lies in the way great philosophers have tried to solve this problem. Some, like Descartes, retreat into the mind: "I think, therefore I am". 

Others, such as the British empiricists John Locke and David Hume,Hume D. 1739 Treatise, and 1748. Enquiry into human understanding. would rely on our sense perception. Some forms of knowledge may be especially vulnerable to skepticism. For example, an agnostic believes people cannot get knowledge about supernatural matters.

Applications

Skepticism is widely used as a method for research in science, and (with changes) in modern legal procedure. Here doubt, suspending judgement, careful investigation, testing and discussion come before any statement of facts. Sometimes, the process takes years before consensus is reached. This systematic approach is called methodological skepticism. It is probably the most important legacy of the skeptics.

 Scepticism in Islam 
In Islamic philosophy, philosophical skepticism was started by Al-Ghazali, known in the West as "Algazel", as a part of the orthodox Ash'ari school of Islamic theology. It has been said that Rene Descartes' ideas in Discourse on the Method may have been influenced by Al-Ghazli.

References

Further reading

 Klein P. 2002. “Skepticism” in The Oxford Handbook of Epistemology. P. Moser (ed) Oxford University Press. pp336–361

Resources

Literary skeptics

 Ambrose Bierce: The Devil's Dictionary
 Bolesław Prus: Pharaoh
 Montaigne: Essays
 Ignacy Krasicki: Fables and Parables
 Voltaire: Candide

Organizations

 Center for Inquiry
 Committee for Skeptical Inquiry
 The Skeptics Society
 James Randi Educational Foundation
 Rationalist International
 The New England Skeptical Society
 Australian Skeptics

Media

 MythBusters
 Penn & Teller: Bullshit!

Other websites

 Australian Skeptics
 British Skeptic magazine
 New York City Skeptics
 Skeptical about skeptics
 Skeptics Canada
 Skeptic Cop
 The Skeptic Friends Network
 Sceptics in Russia (Manifesto)

Category:Logic
Category:Humanities
Category:Philosophy

Category:Anthropology
Category:Epistemology