 The majority of Cicero’s philosophical writings feature a speaker or series of speakers setting out the views held on a core topic (for example, the nature of the gods, or the best way to live) by various philosophical schools, with a critique of those views mounted after each exposition, often by Cicero himself. Thus, in terms of their structure, his works lend themselves not to decisive acceptance or rejection of a particular view, but to a setting out of all sides of an argument so readers can make their own assessment.