Skeptic is an adjective that serves to characterize an individual who is a supporter of skepticism. The skeptic is a person who do not believe, who doubts or presents himself as unbeliever and unbeliever.
The skeptic is also a subject who refuses to accept an idea or theory based on its popularity or on the authority that represents or imposes that idea.
Example: "A lot of people believe there is intelligent life on other planets, but I'm skeptical about that."
Skeptic, in addition to referring to a person who does not believe or has no faith, can also refer to people who are in the habit of questioning beliefs or ideas about an issue. Thus, skeptic can be defined as the individual who tends to question the absolute or popularly accepted truths.
skeptical in philosophy
Skeptical schools emerged in antiquity as a form of criticism of the excessive confidence in the ability to definitively resolve philosophical questions (dogmatism). The radical skepticism of Elis Pyrrhus (3rd century BC C.) questioned the possibility of deciding on the truth of everything that was stated.
Thus, philosophical skepticism is related to the existence of doubt about the known truth, which leads to a deep analysis of concepts and systems that were formulated from dogmas. Dogmas are conceptions about what is thought to correspond to a reality.
The New Academy (formed by the average Academy of Argesilao and the third Academy of Carneades) was responsible for expanding the study of skepticism after starting with the ideas of Elis Pyrrhus.
In it, one did not believe in indisputable truths. Therefore, through empiricism (knowledge acquired through observation and experience), he sought criteria that had verisimilitude to confirm the already known truths.
See also the meanings of Dogma, Dogmatism and Empiricism.
skeptical in science
In science there is the call scientific skepticism. In this area, the skeptic questions or criticizes already defined beliefs and ideas.
In this field of study, there is a search for confirmation of these ideas based on proven scientific bases. Therefore, in scientific skepticism there is a need for certification of beliefs by submitting them to different scientific methods that may or may not confirm them.
know more about Skepticism.
religious skeptic
The term skeptic is also often used to refer to a person who does not have faith in God, gods, religions, or other forms of belief or expression of faith.
However, this does not mean that the religious skeptic is an individual with no faith whatsoever, which would make him an atheist.
The concept of religious skeptic can refer, for example, to a person who has questions in relation to faith, as someone who is still looking for answers to understand their own beliefs.
Read more about the meaning of Atheist.
skeptical of nihilism
Skeptic may also be related to philosophical doctrine. nihilist. In nihilism, the main characteristic is to have a radical skeptical view of interpretations of reality, which annihilates values and convictions.
In nihilism, skepticism reaches an extreme degree that it may be able to question all existing sets of principles and ideas.
Learn more about Nihilism.
Synonyms for Skeptic
The term skeptic, depending on the context in which it is used, may be replaced by synonyms as: pessimist, heretic, heretic, defeatist, negative, disbelieving, disbelieving and distrustful.