Skepticism: From Antiquity to the Present

Description

Skepticism: From Antiquity to the Present is an authoritative and up-to-date survey of the entire history of skepticism. Divided chronologically into ancient, medieval, renaissance, modern, and contemporary periods, and featuring 50 specially-commissioned chapters from leading philosophers, this comprehensive volume is the first of its kind. By exploring each of the distinct traditions and providing expert insights, this extensive reference work: - Covers major thinkers such as Sextus Empiricus, Cicero, Descartes, Hume, Spinoza, and Wittgenstein. - Acknowledges the influence of ancient skeptical traditions on later philosophy and explains why it is still a fertile topic of inquiry among today's philosophers and historians of philosophy. - Analyzes various forms of skepticism including Pyrrhonian, Academic, religious, moral, and neo-Pyrrhonian. - Addresses issues in contemporary epistemology and indicates new directions of study. Skepticism, a driving force in the history of philosophy, remains at the center of debates in ethics, philosophy of religion, epistemology, and the philosophy of mind. Skepticism: From Antiquity to the Present is an essential point of reference for any student, researcher, or practitioner of philosophy, presenting a systematic and historical survey of this core philosophical topic.

Diego E. Machuca is Associate Researcher in Philosophy at the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas, Argentina. He is Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal for the Study of Skepticism and Series Editor of Brill Studies in Skepticism. Baron Reed is Professor in the Department of Philosophy at Northwestern University, USA.

A comprehensive, dynamic and complex picture of scepticism in the history and practice of philosophy [which] makes an important contribution to the contemporary debate by providing the reader with a wide-ranging understanding and appreciation of the multifacetedness of scepticism ... A must-have book for philosophers interested in the topic. * Pli: The Warwick Journal of Philosophy * Comprehensive, ambitious, authoritative, and judiciously edited by two acknowledged experts in the field, this volume will be an invaluable resource for students and professionals alike. Research on the topic will benefit from this impressive collection of scholarship. -- John Turri, Canada Research Chair in Philosophy and Cognitive Science, University of Waterloo, Canada This volume marks a watershed moment. It demonstrates how the study of skepticism has matured so that skepticism is now rightly understood not as a curious but misconceived problem against which proper philosophy can cut its teeth or as a topic of merely antiquarian interest. In the rich and comprehensive essays collected here, an array of leading international scholars explain how powerful currents of skepticism surge across the entirety of philosophical history in ways that still offer resources salient to the central challenges of contemporary philosophical thought today. -- Peter S. Fosl, Professor of Philosophy, Transylvania University, USA This is a uniquely comprehensive collection, comprised of lucid, informative and up to date essays by world renowned experts on their topics. The volume will serve as an indispensable resource for both students and scholars of skepticism, skeptical traditions, and skeptical arguments. The volume is a true tour de force. -- John Greco, Leonard and Elizabeth Eslick Chair in Philosophy Editor, Saint Louis University, USA