Philosophical skepticism is both a philosophical school of
thought and a method that crosses disciplines and cultures. Many skeptics
critically examine the meaning systems of their times, and this examination
often results in a position of ambiguity or doubt. This skepticism can range
from disbelief in contemporary philosophical solutions, to agnosticism, to
rejecting the reality of the external world.
One kind of scientific skepticism
refers to the critical analysis of claims lacking empirical evidence. We are
all skeptical of some things, especially since doubt and opposition are not
always clearly distinguished. Philosophical skepticism, however, is an old
movement with many variations, and contrasts with the view that at least one
thing is certain, but if by being certain we mean absolute or unconditional
certainty, then it is doubtful if it is rational to claim to be certain about
anything. Indeed, for Hellenistic philosophers claiming that at least one thing
is certain makes one a dogmatist.
Philosophical skepticism is distinguished from methodological
skepticism in that philosophical skepticism is an approach that denies the
possibility of certainty in knowledge, whereas methodological skepticism is an
approach that subjects all knowledge claims to scrutiny with the goal of
sorting out true from false claims.
