Ancient sceptics conformed to local custom while rejecting underlying beliefs
Evidence
In practice, this meant that one conformed to the customs of whatever country one inhabited. A modern disciple would go to church on Sundays and perform the correct genuflexions, but without any of the religious beliefs that are supposed to inspire these actions. Ancient Sceptics went through the whole pagan ritual, and were even sometimes priests; their Scepticism assured them that this behaviour could not be proved wrong, and their common sense (which survived their philosophy) assured them that it was convenient. — Bertrand Russell, History of Western Philosophy, 960
Categorization
- corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Bertrand Russell, History of Western Philosophy, 960
- XREF: connects to: Pragmatism relates to ancient skepticism via valuing opinions by utility — Bertrand Russell, History of Western Philosophy, 399; Gnosticism provided a philosophical half-way house between paganism and Christianity — Bertrand Russell, History of Western Philosophy, 1266; The native-informer dynamic lets writers simultaneously acknowledge and deny their Muslim origins (+7 more)