When did Carneades live?

Carneades was born in 214 BC and died in 129 BC.

Where was Carneades from?

Carneades was a Greek philosopher of the Ancient era.

What philosophical movements is Carneades associated with?

Carneades was associated with Skepticism, Platonism, and Hellenistic.

How many quotes are attributed to Carneades?

There are 5 attributed quotations from Carneades in the 1001Philosophers collection, organized by topic.

Carneades 214 BC – 129 BC

Carneades (214 BC – 129 BC) was a Greek philosopher of the Ancient era, associated with Skepticism, Platonism, and Hellenistic.

Carneades of Cyrene was a Greek philosopher and the most important head of the New Academy, the skeptical phase of Plato's school. He was famous for his ability to argue with equal force on either side of any thesis, a virtuosity he displayed during his celebrated embassy to Rome in 155 BC, where he argued for justice on one day and against it on the next. Against the Stoic claim that certainty is available, he developed a probabilist account of how the wise person guides action without dogmatic assent. He left no writings; his views are known through the reports of his students and of Cicero.

Key facts

Nationality: Greek
Era: Ancient
Movements: Skepticism, Platonism, Hellenistic

Selected quotes

Attributed to Carneades:

“Nothing can be known, not even this.”
Attributed to Carneades:

“Where reason yields no certainty, the wise are guided by what is persuasive.”
Attributed to Carneades:

“If justice were a virtue, men would honor those who chose to be defrauded over those who chose to defraud.”
Attributed to Carneades:

“The wise man assents to nothing with full conviction.”
“What is underlying Berdyaev's thinking is the fact that the creative impulse must be generated from a dissatisfaction with this world. The creative impulse wishes in its original outburst to see an end to this world; it is the beginning of a different world. In short, creativity is eschatological .”
p. 66

Frequently asked about Carneades

When did Carneades live?: Carneades was born in 214 BC and died in 129 BC.
Where was Carneades from?: Carneades was a Greek philosopher of the Ancient era.
What philosophical movements is Carneades associated with?: Carneades was associated with Skepticism, Platonism, and Hellenistic.
What was Carneades known for?: Carneades of Cyrene was a Greek philosopher and the most important head of the New Academy, the skeptical phase of Plato's school.
How many quotes are attributed to Carneades?: There are 5 attributed quotations from Carneades in the 1001Philosophers collection, organized by topic.