Greek scepticism : anti-realist trends in ancient thought / Leo Groarke.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Groarke, Leo, 1953-

Series:

McGill-Queen's studies in the history of ideas ; 14.

McGill-Queen's studies in the history of ideas ; 14

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Skeptics (Greek philosophy).

Philosophy, Ancient.

Physical Description:

xv, 176 p. ; 24 cm.

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Montreal ; Buffalo : McGill-Queen's University Press, c1990.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

In Greek Scepticism Leo Groarke presents a more sympathetic and accurate account of Greek scepticism and its relevance to modern and contemporary thought. He begins with an account of the development of scepticism in pre-Socratic times and concludes with a discussion of the relationship of scepticism to modern and contemporary epistemology. Groarke argues that the sceptics posed the problems central to both ancient and modern epistemology, and that in fact scepticism is the ancient analogue of anti-realist trends which are thought to be uniquely modern. He also shows that scepticism is not simply negative, but offers a positive philosophy which mitigates the sceptical critique of knowledge. Greek Scepticism undermines our usual account of the development of modern epistemology. Groarke shows that the separation of the mind and the external world that is generally attributed to Descartes is actually an integral part of ancient scepticism. In discussing the major problems that stem from this distinction, ancient scepticism anticipates thinkers such as Berkeley, Kant, and Hume. Groarke maintains, controversially, that the doubts of the ancient sceptics are deeper and epistemologically more significant than those of the philosophers usually discussed today.

Contents:

Front Matter

Contents

Abbreviations

Acknowledgments

Preface

Toward a New Interpretation of the Sceptics

Greek Epistemology before the Rise of Scepticism

The Rise of Scepticism

Pyrrho and Early Pyrrhonism

Later Pyrrhonism

Ancient Scepticism and Modern Epistemology

Appendix: Flourishing Dates of Ancient Thinkers

Bibliography

INDEX LOCORUM

General Index

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references (p. [157]-164) and indexes.

ISBN:

1-282-85162-4

9786612851629

0-7735-6244-3

OCLC:

929121570