Empedocles of Akragas (495 – 435 BC)Įmpedocles was born in Akragas, a Greek city in Sicily, to a noble family. He subsequently left the city, and spent his last years in exile. Therefore, everything has a portion of everything.īecause of his novel ideas and his rejection of Greek mythology, Anaxagoras was sentenced to death by the court of Athens. He argued that nothing can perish, but the material world is shaped of ingredients that are constantly evolving and changing form. He was an astronomer and philosopher.Īmong others, Anaxagoras aimed to discover the natural causes of eclipses, and described the sun as a huge rock of fire, bigger in size than the Peloponnese. Anaxagoras of Clazomenae (500 – 428 BC)Īnaxagoras was born in Clazomenae, Asia Minor, and moved to Athens when he was 20 years old. Later philosophers often tried to simplify his philosophical propositions. Many of his ideas were abstract and theoretical. His main principle was that “everything is one”. He believed that real existence could be perceived only through logic and not through the senses. Parmenides was one of the first Greek philosophers to use logic in his approach. He was the founder of the Eleatic School, and is thought as the father of metaphysics. The Greek philosopher Parmenides was born in Elea, south Italy. His teachings influenced later Greek philosophers and scientists of the 15th – 16th century AD, like Johannes Kepler and Isaac Newton. Pythagoras is often credited as the first scientist who suggested that the Earth is round. The Pythagorean theorem is still one of the most widely used theorems in geometry. According to him, a soul was immortal, and moved into another body after death.Īside from his engagement in philosophy, Pythagoras is well known for his contributions in mathematics and science.

He founded the movement of Pythagoreanism, a school of thought which advocated a communal, frugal lifestyle, in accordance with nature. He was one of the most influential pre-Socratic philosophers, and inspired most of the people who succeeded him. In his view, all of nature originated from one single substance: water. Thales was primarily interested in how the world had been created. At the same time, he did not reject gods, and believed they were present in everything. He aimed to find explanations for natural phenomena, which had previously been attributed to the 12 Olympian gods. He developed several theories using observation, scientific knowledge and logic, steering clear from mythology. Thales was a mathematician, physician, engineer and astronomer, and is known as the Father of Science.

He is generally recognized as the first ancient Greek philosopher.

Thales of Miletus came from Ionia, in Asia Minor. Many of their philosophical ideas have remained popular over the centuries and inspired modern day philosophers. Here are 12 Ancient Greek philosophers who helped shape the main virtues and ethics in Ancient Greece. A philosopher is someone who reflects and forms theories related to fields like logic, ethics, ideologies and human nature. The Greek word philosophia literally means the love for knowledge and wisdom. Everyone has heard of Greek philosophers like Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. Sites like the Acropolis of Athens, Ancient Epidaurus or Ancient Olympia are tied to Greece’s long and rich history.Īnother element of Ancient Greece that attracts thousands of visitors is the Ancient Greek philosophy. People who travel to Greece are often overwhelmed by our ancient monuments.

Here’s a guide to the 12 most influential philosophers from Greece. The most well known Ancient Greek philosophers like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, helped shape life in Ancient Greece and influenced western philosophy.

Diogenes of sinope cause of death