What Skeptic means

I think my husband who is Greek understands his language a little better than you do?

But the point of the original OP is how does one see the idea of skeptic? Not the challenge of the linguistics. I also posted a definition of it that quite clearly states what everyone assumes they were "Correcting" me on.

:rolleyes:


SEE RIGHT HERE>>>>>



truethat said:
skep·tic also scep·tic (skptk)
n.
1. One who instinctively or habitually doubts, questions, or disagrees with assertions or generally accepted conclusions.
2. One inclined to skepticism in religious matters.
3. Philosophy
a. often Skeptic An adherent of a school of skepticism.
b. Skeptic A member of an ancient Greek school of skepticism, especially that of Pyrrho of Elis (360?-272? b.c.).
[Latin Scepticus, disciple of Pyrrho of Elis, from Greek Skeptikos, from skeptesthai, to examine; see spek- in Indo-European roots.]
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
Skeftomai means I'm thinking.


Skeftomaste is: we think

Skepsi means thought.


Skepticos a thinker.



Its a common word that they use every day so I'm not sure exactly what you're talking about.



http://world.altavista.com/tr



Σκέφτομαι. Είστε φιλόσοφος. Σκέφτεστε. Είναι φιλόσοφος.
 
truethat said:
My husband is Greek and I was describing some of the exchanges on here and he said "But its a skeptic forum" and I said "yes" and he said "Well in Greek Skeptic means thinker
Click to expand...

Wow. I never knew that the word 'skeptic' is Greek. How about 'computer' or 'automobile'; those Greek too? I think, in Greek, Truehat means gullible.

Is there a way to nominate posts for Idiocy Awards? I nominate the OP, when that ability arrives.
 
truethat said:
Skeftomai means I'm thinking.


Skeftomaste is: we think

Skepsi means thought.


Skepticos a thinker.



Its a common word that they use every day so I'm not sure exactly what you're talking about.



http://world.altavista.com/tr



Σκέφτομαι. Είστε φιλόσοφος. Σκέφτεστε. Είναι φιλόσοφος.
Click to expand...

Where is the word "skeptic" in the above? Let me me remind you of your claim:

Well in Greek Skeptic means thinker, it seems to me that people think Skeptic means doubter

I have looked in my Greek dictionary (which is granted only a small one) and can find no entry for "skeptic" and when you actually research the word "skeptic" you find it's origin is as I have already provided.

Just for fun I went and used a couple of online dictionaries and it appears that the Greek word for "skeptic" is "skeptikistis/σκεπτικιστής". And when I looked for that in my Greek dictionary I found it. Your husband I'm afraid is wrong, the Greek language doesn't even use the word "skeptic".

He seems to be confusing words which may indeed share a similar or common etymology - however the statement that "in Greek Skeptic means thinker" is plainly wrong.
 
That is such a lame reply that I actually sprayed coffee all over my keyboard laughing.

Oh ok Darat. I stand corrected. You and your little Greek dictionary are certainly more knowledgeable than a person who speaks Greek.


Never mind. :pirateflag
 
He speaks GREEK. He's not wrong. People are playing games of semantics to be right.

Its a complete joke.

As I said, never mind. I admit that Darat is RIGHT.
 
In ordinary usage, skepticism or scepticism (Greek: skeptomai, to look about, to consider; see also spelling differences) refers to
an attitude of doubt or a disposition to incredulity either in general or toward a particular object,
the doctrine that true knowledge or knowledge in a particular area is uncertain, or
the method of suspended judgment, systematic doubt, or criticism that is characteristic of skeptics (Merriam–Webster).

In philosophy, skepticism refers more specifically to any one of several propositions. These include propositions about
the limitations of knowledge,
a method of obtaining knowledge through systematic doubt and continual testing,
the arbitrariness, relativity, or subjectivity of moral values,
a method of intellectual caution and suspended judgment,
a lack of confidence in positive motives for human conduct or positive outcomes for human enterprises, that is, cynicism and pessimism (Keeton, 1962).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skeptic

I certainly don't advocate Wikipedia as a be-all and end-all for defining terms, but it's a good start, in this case.
 
Wikipedia?????????????


Ok.


Look he speaks Greek and he uses the word every day. This has dissolved into a mess of semantics. The point of his definition was simply a catalyst into the MAIN question of what does SKEPTIC mean to the individuals on this site.

It was a discussion. But par for the course for this site its dissolved into a competition.
 
So, as I understand it:

Everyone on this forum using Greek to post is using sceptic/skeptic incorrectly and truehat's husband is right.

All those using English to post are using sceptic/skeptic correctly and truehat's husband is wrong.

Am I missing something?

.
 
H3LL said:
So, as I understand it:

Everyone on this forum using Greek to post is using sceptic/skeptic incorrectly and truehat's husband is right.

...snip...
Click to expand...

No because the word "skeptic" is not a Greek word, which is not to say there isn't a Greek word for "skeptic" just that it isn't "skeptic".
 
truethat said:
Look he speaks Greek and he uses the word every day. This has dissolved into a mess of semantics. The point of his definition was simply a catalyst into the MAIN question of what does SKEPTIC mean to the individuals on this site.

It was a discussion. But par for the course for this site its dissolved into a competition.
Click to expand...

I think the problem was that you mischaracterized what it means to doubt with this statement "they think being a skeptic means doubting everything at face value until proven otherwise", which set up an artificial difference between what it means to think or to doubt. This almost guaranteed it would have to devolve into a discussion of semantics. The way that I see most people here use skepticism, the words are interchangeable. To think about something is to consider it in detail and recognize alternate explanations.

Linda
 
fls said:
I think the problem was that you mischaracterized what it means to doubt with this statement "they think being a skeptic means doubting everything at face value until proven otherwise", which set up an artificial difference between what it means to think or to doubt. This almost guaranteed it would have to devolve into a discussion of semantics. The way that I see most people here use skepticism, the words are interchangeable. To think about something is to consider it in detail and recognize alternate explanations.

Linda
Click to expand...

Well for me it wasn't quite that - the opening post mentioned something that I hadn't come across before i.e. that the Greeks use the word "skeptic" but it means something different to the English word. So I went looking to see if that was the case because I found the idea mildly interesting. Yes it is a bit of an off-shoot from the main thrust of the OP but it was directly addressing a claim made in the opening post so I think it was legitimate point to look at.
 
Good grief, this thread is causing painful flashbacks to My Big Fat Greek Wedding. *wanders back over to CT land*
 
truethat said:
My husband is Greek and I was describing some of the exchanges on here and he said "But its a skeptic forum" and I said "yes" and he said "Well in Greek Skeptic means thinker, it seems to me that people think Skeptic means doubter.

I was so glad he pointed this out because its exactly the problem I have in discussing faith with people.

Even though I don't believe in faith for me, I do recognize a sort of validity and resonance of other people's experiences. And so when people tell me about them I will listen to them and think about what they are saying. Sometimes I can see where in my opinion they are making fantasy out of a coincidence or something similar.

But what I've noticed so far on this site and other people who call themselves Skeptics, is that they think being a skeptic means doubting everything at face value until proven otherwise.

Curious if others share this experience or what people have to say about it.


skep·tic also scep·tic (skptk)
n.
1. One who instinctively or habitually doubts, questions, or disagrees with assertions or generally accepted conclusions.
2. One inclined to skepticism in religious matters.
3. Philosophy
a. often Skeptic An adherent of a school of skepticism.
b. Skeptic A member of an ancient Greek school of skepticism, especially that of Pyrrho of Elis (360?-272? b.c.).
[Latin Scepticus, disciple of Pyrrho of Elis, from Greek Skeptikos, from skeptesthai, to examine; see spek- in Indo-European roots.]
Click to expand...

Seems to me a simple case of a word that has a different meaning in Greek than it does in English.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top Bottom