Carneades

Carneades (Greek: Karneadēs, "of Carnea"; 214/3-129/8 BCE) is an Academic skeptic born in Cyrene.

By the year 159 BCE, he has started to refute all previous dogmatic doctrines, especially Stoicism, and even the Epicureans whom previous skeptics had spared.

As head of the Academy, he is one of three philosophers sent to Rome in 155 BCE where his lectures on the uncertainty of justice cause consternation among the leading politicians.

He leaves no writings and many of his opinions are known only via his successor Clitomachus.

He seems to have doubted the ability, not just of the senses but of reason too, in acquiring truth.

His skepticism is, however, moderated by the belief that we can, nevertheless, ascertain probabilities of truth, to enable us to live and act correctly.

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