Clitomachuss

Clitomachuss was an ancient Greek philosopher from the city of Carthage. He was a student and successor of Carneades as the head of the Academy, the philosophical school founded by Plato. Clitomachuss lived from approximately 187 to 109 BCE.

He is primarily known for his work in defending and elaborating upon the doctrines of Academic Skepticism. While Carneades had emphasized the impossibility of attaining certain knowledge, Clitomachuss sought to clarify and organize the skeptical arguments, particularly in his extensive writings. Unfortunately, most of his works are now lost, and our knowledge of his philosophy comes from later sources, such as Cicero and Sextus Empiricus.

Clitomachuss was highly regarded for his intellectual rigor and his ability to present complex philosophical arguments clearly. He engaged in debates with Stoic philosophers, defending the skeptical position that no sensation or criterion of truth could be definitively established. His efforts were aimed at preserving the philosophical tradition of the Academy and refining its skeptical methodology. Despite the loss of his writings, his influence on the development of ancient philosophy, particularly skepticism, is acknowledged.