The History of Scepticism from Erasmus to Spinoza

Richard H. Popkin

• Publisher: University of California Press
• Year: 2023
• Print ISBN:
  9780520038769
• eBook ISBN:
  9780520342453
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Philosophy
• Subtopic: Political Philosophy

"I had read the book before in the shorter Harper Torchbook edition but read it again right through--and found it as interesting and exciting as before. I regard it as one of the seminal books in the history of ideas. Based on a prodigious amount of original research, it demonstrated conclusively and in fascinating details how the transmission of ancient skepticism was a bital factor in the formation of modern thought. The story is rich in implications for th history of philosophy, the history of science, and the history of religious thought. Popkin's work has already inspired further work by others--and the new edition takes account of this, most importantly the work of Charles Schmitt. The two new chapters extend the story as far as Spinoza, with special reference to the beginnings of biblical criticism.... Popkin's history is of great potential interest to a wide readership--wider than most specialist publications and wider than it has (so far as I can tell) reached hitherto." --M.F. Burnyeat, Professor of Philosophy, University College London
"I had read the book before in the shorter Harper Torchbook edition but read it again right through--and found it as interesting and exciting as before. I regard it as one of the seminal books in the history of ideas. Based on a prodigious amount of origi

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• CONTENTS
• ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
• PREFACE
• I THE INTELLECTUAL CRISIS OF THE REFORMATION
• II THE REVIVAL OF GREEK SCEPTICISM IN THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY
• III MICHEL DE MONTAIGNE AND THE ‘NOUVEAUX PYRRHONIENS’
• IV THE INFLUENCE OF THE NEW PYRRHONISM
• V THE LIBERTINS ÉRUDITS
• VI THE COUNTER ATTACK BEGINS
• VII CONSTRUCTIVE OR MITIGATED SCEPTICISM
• VIII HERBERT OF CHERBURY AND JEAN DE SILHON
• IX DESCARTES CONQUEROR OF SCEPTICISM
• X DESCARTES SCEPTIQUE MALGRÉ LUI
• XI ISAAC LA PEYRÈRE AND THE BEGINNING OF RELIGIOUS SCEPTICISM
• XII SPINOZA’S SCEPTICISM AND ANTI-SCEPTICISM
• REVIEWS OF THE HISTORY OF SCEPTICISM FROM ERASMUS TO DESCARTES
• NOTES
• BIBLIOGRAPHY
• INDEX