ARCESILAUS

born 316/315 BC, Pitane, Aeolis [now in Turkey] died c. 241 philosopher who succeeded Crates as head of the Greek Academy; he introduced a skepticism derived either from Socrates or from Pyrrhon and Timon. Refusing to accept or deny the possibility of certainty in knowing, Arcesilaus advocated a skeptical suspension of judgment (epoche). The stoics (who held a theory of irresistible impressions) attacked him for thus paralyzing man and vitiating the goal of philosophy, which they believed was to make man happy and vigorous. Arcesilaus replied that a wise man need know only that his actions are reasonable (eulogon).