Acatalepsy

Acatalepsy

Acatalepsy (from the Greek α̉-, privative, and καταλαμβάνειν, to seize), in philosophy, is incomprehensibleness, or the impossibility of comprehending or conceiving a thing. The Pyrrhonians and Skeptics, and even Plato's Academy asserted an absolute "acatalepsia"; all human science or knowledge, according to them, went no further than to appearances and verisimilitude.


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  • Acatalepsy — A*cat a*lep sy, n. [Gr. ?; a priv. + ? to seize, comprehend.] Incomprehensibility of things; the doctrine held by the ancient Skeptic philosophers, that human knowledge never amounts to certainty, but only to probability. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • acatalepsy — acataleptic /ay kat l ep tik/, n., adj. /ay kat l ep see/, n. Philos. an ancient Skeptical view that no more than probable knowledge is available to human beings. [1595 1605; ( < ML acatalepsia) < Gk akatalepsía, equiv. to akatalept(eîn) to not… …   Universalium

  • acatalepsy — noun /eɪˈkæt.lˌɛp.si/ Incomprehensibility of things; the doctrine held by the ancient Skeptic philosophers, that human knowledge never amounts to certainty, but only to probability …   Wiktionary

  • acatalepsy — n. incomprehensibility, philosophy held by Sceptic philosophers that human knowledge can never be definite or certain (Philosophy) …   English contemporary dictionary

  • acatalepsy — acat·a·lep·sy …   English syllables

  • acatalepsy —   n. state of being impossible to understand; Philosophy, sceptic doctrine that knowledge cannot be certain.    ♦ acataleptic, a …   Dictionary of difficult words

  • acatalepsy — (ˈ)āˈkad.əlˌepsē noun ( es) Etymology: Greek akatalēpsia, from a a (II) + katalēpsis comprehension, seizing + ia more at catalepsy 1. : an ancient Skeptic doctrine that human knowledge amounts only to probability and never to certainty …   Useful english dictionary

  • acataleptic — 1. adjective Incapable of being comprehended; incomprehensible. 2. noun An adherent of acatalepsy …   Wiktionary

  • acataleptic — adj. pertaining to acatalepsy, cannot be known for certain, incomprehensible (Philosophy) …   English contemporary dictionary

  • acataleptic — I. | ̷ ̷ˌ ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷|eptik adjective Etymology: Greek akatalēptos incomprehensible (from a a (II) + katalēptos seized, comprehensible) + English ic more at cataleptic : relating to or characterized by acatalepsy II …   Useful english dictionary

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