Final answer:
Skepticism is a philosophical stance where skeptics deny the possibility of absolute certainty in knowledge. Influential skeptics range from classical figures like Pyrrho to modern philosophers like Hume and Moore, who argued against skepticism using common sense.
Step-by-step explanation:
Skeptics questioned the possibility of attaining absolute certainty in human knowledge, embracing the belief that it might be impossible to have certain knowledge. Classical skeptics like Pyrrho and Sextus Empiricus, as well as modern thinkers such as Montaigne, Mayle, and Hume, have contributed to the body of skeptical philosophy. Skepticism can be global, rejecting all knowledge, or local, focusing skepticism in specific domains such as religion or morality.
Philosophers have also developed arguments against skepticism, like G. E. Moore, who aimed to utilize common sense to disprove it. The discussions around skepticism encompass ideas such as fallibilism—a moderate view that accepts uncertainty and doubt as a part of human knowledge.
Additionally, skepticism plays a role in Eastern philosophies, such as Daoism, which recognizes the limitations of human knowledge. This intertwines with the broader philosophical discourse on epistemology, including contemporary debates on the philosophical positions towards atheism and religious belief, largely stemming from the early 20th-century philosophers like the Logical Positivists.