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Cicero’s Tusculan Disputations: A Sceptical Reading

Cicero wrote his later philosophical works as an Academic sceptic. In those dialogues, he often writes speeches for and against a proposition, leaving the reader’s judgement free. But in his Tusculan Disputations, Cicero speaks only against an interlocutor’s stated belief. He does this five times. The theses of Cicero’s five arguments form a Stoic outlook on happiness. Can the Tusculans be sceptical? I argue that Cicero aims to convince neither his interlocutor, nor the reader, of the truth of what he argues for. Rather, he aims to argue us out of each stated belief, and not into any other. I further argue Cicero the author chooses to argue against exactly the five beliefs of his interlocutors not to argue for any dogmatic position, but to argue against five beliefs that are very widely believed, and troubling to believe. Academic scepticism can relieve us of those beliefs and troubles.