Acatalepsy (from the Greek α̉- 'privative' and καταλαμβάνειν 'to seize'), in philosophy, is incomprehensibleness, or the impossibility of comprehending or conceiving some or all things. The doctrine held by the ancient Skeptic philosophers, that human knowledge never amounts to certainty, but only to probability.
The Pyrrhonians attempted to show, while Academic skeptics of the Platonic Academy asserted an absolute acatalepsia; all human science or knowledge, according to them, went no further than to appearances and verisimilitude. It is the antithesis of the Stoic doctrine of katalepsis or Apprehension. According to the Stoics, katalepsis was true perception, but to the Skeptics, all perceptions were acataleptic, i.e. bear no conformity to the objects perceived, or, if they did bear any conformity, it could never be known.
See also
Definist / Socratic fallacy
Notes
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This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chambers, Ephraim, ed. (1728). Cyclopædia, or an Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences (1st ed.). James and John Knapton, et al. {{cite encyclopedia}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - "acatalepsy". Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary. 1913.
- Lewes, George Henry (1863). The biographical history of philosophy. Vol. 1. p. 297.
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Acatalepsy from the Greek a privative and katalambanein to seize in philosophy is incomprehensibleness or the impossibility of comprehending or conceiving some or all things The doctrine held by the ancient Skeptic philosophers that human knowledge never amounts to certainty but only to probability The Pyrrhonians attempted to show while Academic skeptics of the Platonic Academy asserted an absolute acatalepsia all human science or knowledge according to them went no further than to appearances and verisimilitude It is the antithesis of the Stoic doctrine of katalepsis or Apprehension According to the Stoics katalepsis was true perception but to the Skeptics all perceptions were acataleptic i e bear no conformity to the objects perceived or if they did bear any conformity it could never be known See alsoDefinist Socratic fallacyNotes This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain Chambers Ephraim ed 1728 Cyclopaedia or an Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences 1st ed James and John Knapton et al a href wiki Template Cite encyclopedia title Template Cite encyclopedia cite encyclopedia a Missing or empty title help acatalepsy Webster s Revised Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Lewes George Henry 1863 The biographical history of philosophy Vol 1 p 297 This article about epistemology is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte
