or ACADEMISTS, a denomination given to the cultivators of a species of philosophy originally derived from Socrates, and afterwards illustrated and enforced by Plato, who taught in a grove near Athens, consecrated to the memory of Academus, an Athenian hero; from which circumstance this philosophy received the name of Academic. Before the days of Plato, philosophy had in a great measure fallen into contempt. The contradictory systems and hypotheses which had successively been urged upon the world were become so numerous, that, from a view of this inconsistency and uncertainty of human opinions, many were led to conclude, that truth lay beyond the reach of our comprehension. Absolute and universal scepticism was the natural consequence of this conclusion. In order to remedy this abuse of philosophy and of the human faculties, Plato laid hold of the principles of the academical philosophy; and, in his Phaedo, reasons in the following manner: "If we are unable to discover truth (says he), it must be owing to two circumstances: either there is no truth in the nature of things; or the mind, from a defect in its powers, is not able to apprehend it. Upon the latter supposition, all the uncertainty and fluctuation in the opinions and judgments of mankind admit of an easy solution: Let us therefore be modest, and ascribe our errors to the real weakness of our own minds, and not to the nature of things themselves. Truth is often difficult of access; in order to come at it, we must proceed with caution and diffidence, carefully examining every step; and, after all our labour, we will frequently find our greatest efforts disappointed, and be obliged to confess our ignorance and weaknesses."

Labour and caution in their researches, in opposition to rash and hasty decisions, were the distinguishing characteristics of the disciples of the ancient academy. A philosopher, possessed of these principles, will be slow in his progress; but will seldom fall into errors, or have occasion to alter his opinion after it is once formed. Vanity and precipitance are the great sources of scepticism: hurried on by these, instead of attending to the cool and deliberate principles recommended by the academy, several of our modern philosophers have plunged themselves into an absurd and ridiculous kind of scepticism. They pretend to discredit subjects that are Academics, are plain, simple, and easily comprehended; but give peremptory and decisive judgements upon things that evidently exceed the limits of our capacity. Of these, Berkeley and Hume are the most considerable. Berkeley denied the existence of every thing, excepting his own ideas. Mr Hume has gone a step further, and questioned even the existence of ideas; but at the same time has not hesitated to give determined opinions with regard to eternity, providence, and a future state, miraculous interpretations of the Deity, &c., subjects far above the reach of our faculties. In his essay on the academical or sceptical philosophy, he has confounded two very opposite species of philosophy. After the days of Plato, indeed, the principles of the first academy were grossly corrupted by Arcesilas, Carneades, &c. This might lead Mr Hume into the notion that the academical and sceptical philosophy were synonymous terms. But no principles can be of a more opposite nature than those which were inculcated by the old academy of Socrates and Plato, and the sceptical notions which were propagated by Arcesilas, Carneades, and the other disciples of the succeeding academies.