Lorenzo Valla and Quattrocento Scepticism

• Published in: Vivarium Vol. 44; no. 2; pp. 375 - 395
• Main Author: Nauta, Lodi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: The Netherlands BRILL 2006; Brill
• Subjects: 15th century; Argumentation; Aristotelianism; Dialectic; Epicureanism; Historical studies (History of philosophy. History of ideas); Humanism; Oratory; Philosophy; Renaissance philosophy; Rhetorical argument; Skepticism; Syllogisms; Century 15; Middle Ages; Philosophy history; Scepticism; Valla (L.)

Lorenzo Valla (1406-1457) has often been considered to be a sceptic. Equipped with an extremely polemical and critical mind, his whole oeuvre seemed to aim at undermining received philosophical and theological dogmas. More specifically he has been associated with the burgeoning interests in ancient...