The Cambridge Companion to Ancient Scepticism

Richard Bett is Professor of Philosophy and Classics at Johns Hopkins University. His previous publications include Pyrrho, his Antecedents and his Legacy (2000), and translations of Sextus Empiricus' Against the Ethicists (1997, with commentary) and Against the Logicians (2005).

A comprehensive survey of the main periods, schools and individual proponents of scepticism in the ancient Greek and Roman world.

Abbreviations; Introduction, Richard Bett; Part I. Origins and Development: 1. Antecedents in early Greek philosophy Mi-Kyoung Lee; 2. Pyrrho and early Pyrrhonism Svavar Hrafn Svavarsson; 3. Arcesilaus and Carneades Harald Thorsrud; 4. The sceptical academy: decline and afterline Carlos Lévy; 5. Aenesidemus and the rebirth of Pyrrhonism James Hankinson; 6. Sextus Empiricus Pierre Pellegrin; Part II. Topics and Problems: 7. Scepticism and belief Casey Perin; 8. Scepticism and action Katja Maria Vogt; 9. Scepticism and ethics Richard Bett; 10. Academics versus Pyrrhonists, reconsidered Gisela Striker; 11. The Pyrrhonian modes Paul Woodruff; 12. Pyrrhonism and medicine James Allen; 13. Pyrrhonism and the specialized sciences Emidio Spinelli; Part III. Beyond Antiquity: 14. The rediscovery and posthumous influence of scepticism Luciano Floridi; 15. Descartes' transformation of the sceptical tradition Michael Williams; Bibliography.