Who were the first skeptics?

Question

Since there are a thousand faiths, we are apt to become skeptical of them all. We had seen too much to believe too much. Traditions and dogmas rub one another to a minimum in such centers of varied intercourse. Now, who do you think were the first skeptics?

Thanks for all the answers. Have a great day!

Answer 1

The historical figure where skepticism comes from was Socrates (at least in the West). The skeptic school was a branch born out of one of the minor schools following the thought of Socrates. The Socratic method (maieutiké) is really a skeptic method: put everything into doubt. The problem is that Socrates thought that truth was attainable, whereas a skeptic who brings his line of thought until the final consequences will reach a point of no return: there is no truth. And this is a difficult position to sustain (also due to logical problems related to it).
I think Buddha could apply to the title too, but I will not venture in eastern philosophies since I don't know so much about them.

Answer 2

Going by the spirit of the question, I would like to answer generally rather than pinpoint any specific historic figure as the first skeptical person.

We are all skeptical due to our power of logic combined with the experience of inconsistencies between the initial and the final perception....... experience shows us that an initial understanding through a perception is more often than not woefully incomplete and sometimes even erroneous. Our power of logic therefore hesitates to accept anything at face value. However, faith and love are two enormous powers that overrule our logic and take us into the realms of non-skeptical..... in such cases we shelve or push into the background whatever doubts our logic wants to raise.

I sincerely believe that knowledge is the result of curiosity and skepticism towards every initial experience... if we were not to be skeptical, our knowledge would never be better than the inputs received from our sensory perceptions... in other words, our knowledge would be both transient as well as raw. Thus, I believe that love and faith are hindrance to the pursuit of truth and knowledge whereas an element of doubt and curiosity helps the process to fruition.

Then, speaking generally, the first person who was logical in thinking and did want to pursue the real understanding of truth or acquisition of knowledge, would necessarily have been curious and doubting... in other words would have been the first skeptical person.

Hope I have not strayed from what you really wanted through this question.

Answer 3

Skepticism starts with contradiction, the broken promise, the disappointed expectation. As noted above in an other answer, skepticism is not enough as opposition to contradiction is not complete knowledge, only that a negation for a good has realized its self.....I guess Socrates, but you might try looking into Chinese philosophy.

Answer 4

To add to moser17's response -

In classical philosophy, skepticism refers to the teachings and the traits of the Skeptikoi, a school of philosophers of whom it was said that they "asserted nothing but only opined" (Liddell and Scott). In this sense, philosophical skepticism, or pyrrhonism, is the philosophical position that one should avoid the postulation of final truths. Turned on itself, skepticism would question that skepticism is a valid perspective at all. {1}

I love that last line, lol. However, I think this is just the first recorded school of skepticism. I find it difficult to believe that skeptics did not exist until Greek philosophy. In Christianity, the Bible teaches that the first skeptic was the Devil. He doubted everything. However, if you don't look at the Bible for faith but for historical context (you dirty skeptic, you!) you will find that there were lots of skeptics BEFORE the school of Skeptikoi. It seemed like all of Egypt was skeptical of Judaism (we'll forget all about the flood too, as that seemed to wipe out an entire planet of skeptics, because it's never really been proven scientifically or historically).

Aside from what the Bible would have to offer, historically, we can always assume that early cavemen were skeptical of a Mastodon god who breathed fire. Throughout history we can probably safely assume that as long as there's been belief in something and faith in some sort of higher power then there have been skeptics right there in the midst of it all, whether they were vocal or not. So, I wonder, would the students of Skeptikoi be skeptical of early skeptics??

Answer 5

Hello third

Carvakas were first skeptics or materialists.
E.W.Hopkins,the author of 'The ethics of india' (1924) mentions the old Carvaka or materialist of the 6th century BC.

Answer 6

Like you say, scepticism is an ability of human beings generally, insofar as we can doubt methodically. But historically and traditionally the first Sceptics were called the School of Pyrrho. Aenesidemus of Knossos, the founder of the school in tribute to Pyrrho, wrote 'Pyrrhonion Wisdom' (ca. 43 B.C.E.), which "attempted to show the relative character of all judgments and opinions". Our main source of the detail of sceptical doctrine is Sextus Empiricus (ca. 250 A.D.)

:)

Answer 7

Socrates

Answer 8

in biblical terms i would say Adam and eve. they turned out to be non-believers.