Why did Arcesilaus emphasize Socrates’ questioning and agnostic approach?

Arcesilaus, who became the head of the Academy in 273 BCE, utilized the Socratic method of questioning to challenge the dogmatic claims of rival schools, particularly Stoicism and Epicureanism. By inviting others to state a thesis and then proving that it led to a contradiction, he aimed to demonstrate that no reliable criterion exists to distinguish truth from falsity.412

While Socrates used questioning to expose his own lack of knowledge while often regarding certain theses as worthy of credence, Arcesilaus extended this approach to advocate for a general "suspension of judgment" (epochē). He maintained that because certainty is unattainable, one must refrain from believing anything at all. Arcesilaus argued that this skeptical stance remained true to the spirit of Plato’s writings, asserting that a wise person need only ensure their actions are "reasonable" (eulogon). Through this method, he sought to defend the Academy against dogmatic philosophies that claimed to possess absolute knowledge.3142