Skepticism And Cynicism In The Work Of Pedro De Valencia

Abstract

This chapter is a contribution to the history of the reception of Hellenistic philosophy in late Renaissance and early modern Europe. Hellenistic philosophy consisted of several contending schools, of which the best known are the Stoics and Epicureans. One important scholar from late sixteenth and early seventeenth century Spain seems to have been as interested in ancient cynicism as he was in skepticism: Pedro de Valencia. Pedro de Valencia wrote his Academica in 1590 and it was printed in Antwerp in 1596 at the behest of some of his friends. Valencia's economic and political writings have been published in two volumes of the Complete Works . Valencia's work on cynicism consisted largely of translations and imitations of ancient cynical work on retirement from public life. Keywords: ancient skepticism; Greek cynicism; Pedro de Valencia