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Navigating cognitive success (and failure): Cicero, Lucullus 66

Abstract:
The Ciceronian corpus of philosophical works features on a number of occasions first-person speakers who explain how they live their Academic scepticism, whose hallmark was the rejection of certain knowledge. Lucullus 66 is an interesting instance of this: the Academic way of life is contrasted with that of the dogmatist with reference to an extended allegory relating to navigation at sea by night. The article aims to elucidate this passage, by considering how navigation by the stars worked in antiquity, to what extent the scholarly and poetic tradition of the night sky reflected these realities, and ultimately what the allegory does and does not illustrate. The Academic’s way of navigating life, while being avowedly imperfect and fallible, emerges as entirely serviceable.
Publication status:
Published
Peer review status:
Peer reviewed

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Files:
Publisher copy:
10.1515/9783111316802-004

Authors

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Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
HUMS
Department:
Classics Faculty
Role:
Author
ORCID:
0000-0002-7228-8790

Contributors

Role:
Editor
Role:
Editor

Publisher:
De Gruyter
Host title:
Fallibility and Fallibilism in Ancient Philosophy and Literature
Pages:
67-88
Chapter number:
3
Series:
Philosophie der Antike
Series number:
45
Place of publication:
Berlin/Boston
Publication date:
2023-12-18
Acceptance date:
2023-08-05
Edition:
1
DOI:
ISSN:
0943-5921
EISBN:
9783111316802
ISBN:
9783111314358

Language:
English
Subtype:
Chapter
Pubs id:
1501576
Local pid:
pubs:1501576
Deposit date:
2023-08-05
ARK identifier:

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