Arcesilaus was the founder of Academic Skepticism and what is variously called the Second or Middle or New Academy — the phase of the Platonic Academy in which it embraced philosophical skepticism.
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10 Facts About Arcesilaus
2.
Arcesilaus succeeded Crates of Athens as the sixth scholarch of the Academy around 264 BC.
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3.
Arcesilaus did not preserve his thoughts in writing, so his opinions can only be gleaned second-hand from what is preserved by later writers.
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4.
Arcesilaus then studied philosophy, becoming a disciple first of Theophrastus and afterwards of Crantor.
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5.
Arcesilaus attended the school of Pyrrho, whose philosophy he maintained, except in name.
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6.
Arcesilaus subsequently became intimate with Polemo and Crates of Athens, who made Arcesilaus his successor as scholarch of the Platonic Academy.
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7.
Arcesilaus is known to have been much respected by the Athenians.
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8.
Arcesilaus's opinions were imperfectly known to his contemporaries, and can now only be gathered from the statements of later writers.
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9.
Eusebius, probably quoting Aristocles of Messene, reported that Arcesilaus studied in Pyrrho's school and adhered, except in name, to Pyrrhonism.
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10.
Arcesilaus remained Pyrrhonist in his rejection of everything, except in name.
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