NOTABLE ANCIENT

PHILOSOPHERS
PYTHAGORA 570 BCE to 495 BCE

SA mathematician and scientist, he

was credited with formulating the
Pythagorean theorem.
HERACLITU 535 BCE to 475 BCE

S
He proposed that everything that exists is based on a higher
order or plan which he called logos.
Glossary Definition: Logos A principle originating in classical
Greek thought which refers to a universal divine reason,
immanent in nature, yet transcending all oppositions and
imperfections in the cosmos and humanity. An eternal and
unchanging truth present from the time of creation, available to
every individual who seeks it

For him, change is a permanent aspect of the human

condition as he was credited with the saying, “No man ever
steps in the same river twice.”
DEMOCRITU 460 BCE to 370 BCE

Scauses or natural phenomena. He was

He devoted himself to the study of the

among the first to propose that matter is

composed of tiny particles called atoms.
 Diogenes of Sinope
412 BCE to 323 BCE

He was a known advocate of living a

simple and virtuous life.

He was also known to be a vocal

critic of well-known philosophers
several schools of
philosophy such as
such as Plato and Aristotle.
Cynicism and Stoicism
an inclination to
believe that people
are motivated purely
by self-interest;
skepticism:
• the endurance of pain or hardship
without the display of feelings and
without complaint.
• an ancient Greek school of
philosophy founded at Athens by
Zeno of Citium. The school taught
that virtue, the highest good, is
based on knowledge; the wise live
in harmony with the divine Reason
(also identified with Fate and
Providence) that governs nature,
and are indifferent to the
vicissitudes of fortune and to
pleasure and pain
Epicurus 341 BCE to 270 BCE

He believed that philosophy could

enable man to live a life of happiness.

His views gave rise to Epicureanism – a

school of philosophy which believes that
wisdom and simple living will result in a life
free of fear and pain
Socrates 470 BCE to 399 BCE

• considered the foremost philosopher

of ancient times

• made great contributions to the field of

ethics

• also believed that philosophy could

enable a man to live a life of virtue
 a means of examining
a topic by devising a
series of questions that
let the learner examine
and analyze his
knowledge and views
regarding the topic.
Plato 427 BCE to 347 BCE

A student of Socrates, he wrote down his mentor’s

teachings and incorporated some of his own ideas into
them.

His teachings and writings were considered the

foundation of Western philosophy.

Plato's most significant ideas included his Theory of

Forms, which proposes that everything that exists is
based on an idea or template that can only be perceived in
the mind; these nonphysical ideas are eternal and
unchanging.
Plato 427 BCE to 347 BCE

He also focused his studies on the ideal society and proposed

an ideal model of government and society which is ruled by
wisdom and reason.
Plato is also known for his dialectic – a method of
inquiry where two opposing ideas are discussed in an
attempt to arrive at new knowledge.

Plato's lasting contribution to learning was his founding

of the Academy, an institution of higher learning which
was the first of its kind in the Western World.
 Aristotle 384 BCE to 322 BCE
He attended the Academy, and was a prominent student of Plato

Aristotle, however, disagreed with Plato's theory of forms and

took a different stance in interpreting reality. For him, all ideas
and views are based on perception and our reality is based on
what we can sense and perceive.
Aristotle was involved in a great variety of disciplines such as
zoology, psychology, ethics, and politics.

He also proposed a system for the classification of plants

and animals.
 Aristotle 384 BCE to 322 BCE

His studies in logic led to the formulation of

a formal process of analyzing reasoning
which gave rise to deductive reasoning –
the process by which specific statements are
analyzed to reach a conclusion or
generalization.