Lo scetticismo tra razionalità e disillusione. Bertrand Russell ed Emil Cioran

SKEPTICISM BETWEEN RATIONALITY AND DISILLUSIONMENT.
BERTRAND RUSSELL AND EMIL CIORAN
Abstract. This study offers a comparative analysis of the scepticism of Bertrand Russell
and Emil Cioran, highlighting two distinct traditions of philosophical scepticism: Academic
and Pyrrhonian. While scepticism has long been debated in philosophy, this paper focuses
on the complementary epistemological and existential implications of these views in a
modern context. Russell represents methodological scepticism, using doubt as a critical
tool to pursue more reliable knowledge without falling into absolute relativism. Conversely,
Cioran adopts doubt as an existential stance, suspending judgment in line with Pyrrhonian
scepticism and questioning the possibility of absolute truth, expressing deep disenchantment
with reality and knowledge. In an age dominated by positivism and trust in scientific
and media certainties, balancing Russell’s rational scepticism with Cioran’s scepticism of
disenchantment offers valuable insight. This tension helps distance us from both dogmatic
rationalism and extreme nihilism, providing a fresh perspective on scepticism’s role in
contemporary thought.