'Skepticism' is Greek for 'careful looking' — a skeptic looks before believing. Kin to 'inspect.'
A skeptical attitude; doubt as to the truth of something.
From Greek skeptikós (σκεπτικός, inquiring, reflective, one who looks carefully), from skeptesthai (σκέπτεσθαι, to look, to consider, to examine carefully), from the PIE root *speḱ- (to observe, to look at). The PIE root *speḱ- is among the most productive roots in the language of rational inquiry: it produced Latin specere (to look), giving English speculate, inspect, respect, prospect, aspect, and species. The Latin cognate spectrum
'Skeptic,' 'spectacle,' 'inspect,' 'respect,' 'suspect,' 'species,' and 'spy' all come from PIE *speḱ- (to look). A skeptic looks carefully. A spectacle is something to look at. To inspect is to look into. Respect is looking back (looking again). Suspicion is looking from below. A species