Their esoteric philosophical ideas on primitive natural science as well as the ethical application of their philosophical values in society earned them the recognition that lives to this day. His interpretation of things was more based on facts learnt from the experience people would gain in their lives, an approach that differed from that of his master who preferred a perspective that was beyond the accessibility of the physical senses. Aristotle of Stagira was the most influential among the disciples of Plato. Plato was a student of Socrates and was visibly influenced by the philosophical approach of his master. He never wrote anything and most of his philosophical contributions come through his students, mainly Plato. So great has the influence of Plato been that his representation of Socrates has eclipsed all of the philosophers who existed in the Greek world at the time and before. Instead of regurgitating ideas based solely on his individual interpretations, he would question people relentlessly on their beliefs, and try to find definitions of virtues by conversing with anyone proclaiming to possess such qualities. He also said that opposites attract and that fire was the base for all things in the world. Thanks for such a beautiful article. It was at this school that Pythagoras tried to find a mutual harmony between real life and the practical aspects of philosophy. He is hailed among historians as the father of ancient Greek philosophy. Th… The primary groundwork of Plato’s philosophy is a threefold approach – dialects, ethics and physics, the central point of unison being the theory of forms. If we try to learn anything from the great philosophers of Greece it is to question everything. Some of the most famous and influential philosophers of all time were from the ancient Greek world, including Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. Anaximenes 4. Much of his work remains truncated, especially at the hands of subsequent generations of philosophers. It only means that the list of a top ancient Greek Philosophers vary from a subjective point of view. Zeno further expanded and defended the philosophical ideologies established by Parmenides, which were facing much opposition from common opinion at that time. The world as they perceived it was largely influenced by the presence of a higher deity. In his only known work, the aptly titled poem On Nature, he tries to unravel the biggest question of all: Is it or is it not? The application of nous assigns a certain motion and meaning to this chaos. “The seed of everything is in everything else.”Anaxagoras was a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher who lived in Athens. Licenced by the Greek National Tourism Organization Reg. “Nothing is enough for the man to whom enough is too little.”Epicurus was an ancient Greek philosopher as well as the founder of the school of philosophy called Epicureanism. Parmenides states that everything “that is” must have always been, since any arbitrary “nothing” would have to come from nothing itself. “Plato” 13. Here is a list of the top 10 inventions and discoveries of ancient Greece that are remarkably used until this very day. 3. This became one of the earliest theories to have been postulated on particle physics, although some historians see it as a complex effort to negate the non-dualism theory of Parmenides. Socrates' greatest contribution to philosophy was the Socratic Method in which discussion, argument, and dialogue are used to discern the truth. 5. Thales was highly esteemed among ancient Greeks and his hypotheses usually added meaning and breadth to already existing ideas on nature. Thales (c. 624-546 BCE)“The most difficult thing in life is to know yourself.”Thales of Miletus is regarded as one of the fathers of Greek philosophy, being a pivotal point for following generations of famous thinkers, philosophers and scientists. founder of Peripatetic school; student of Plato, Denied the existence of incorporeal entities, Succeeded Dionysius of Lamptrai as the head of the Epicurean school at Athens, Reportedly the daughter of Pythagoras and Theano, One of the several leaders of Stoa after the death of Panaetius, said that the purpose of philosophy was to attain tranquility characterized by, claimed that "You cannot step in the same river twice" and "All is fire. In ancient times, people had a rather strong belief in magic and mythology when it came to interpreting the world around them. Athens insiders uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Anaxagoras is credited as being the first to establish a philosophy in its entirety in Athens, a place where it would go on to reach its peak and continue to have an impact on society for hundreds of years to come. Eventually, his beliefs and realistic approach in philosophy led to his end, as he was tried and convicted for criticizing religion and corrupting the youth. This list of a top 10 Ancient Greek Philosophers is only a product of a subjective choice by the author. Wow! Thank you! For Epicurus, the purpose of philosophy was to attain the happy, tranquil life, characterized by ataraxia-peace and freedom from fear-and aponia-the absence of pain. Socrates then chose death by suicide over exile from his homeland of Athens. He often said that fear of death was one of the main causes of human anxiety and it often led people to despair. Like his mentor Socrates, Plato was a critic of democracy. I’d give you a pat on the back and a hearty “Well Done,” my boy. He is credited as being the first known writer on philosophy because the first surviving lines of Western philosophy were written by him. His teachings were not strictly confined to what we know as philosophy, but also included common issues like rules on living, what daily food to eat and so on. 7. He put forth the idea of opposite motive forces involved in the building of the world, namely love as the cause of union, and strife as the cause of separation. Pythagoras, 5. He openly moved away from the relentless physical speculations that previous philosophers had been so busy interpreting and assimilating and attempted to establish an ethical system based on human reasoning rather than various (and often widely debated) theological doctrines. In physics, he agreed with many Pythagorean views. This started with the first attempt by Thales to look at the world from a methodical perspective. Anaxagoras 8. Another important figure from the pre-Socratic era, Anaxagoras of Clazomenae was an influential philosopher and scientist who lived and taught in Athens for almost 30 years. He also went on to become the first person to give an evolutionary account on the development of species. Learn more about the contributions of Socrates. They are known as Pre-Socratics because they pre-date Socrates. Socrates embarked a whole new perspective of achieving practical results through application of philosophy in our daily lives. Parmenides 7. His poems and thoughts have always seemed to be significantly influenced by the philosopher Xenophanes, leading most historians to believe that he must have been his pupil. Most people who have watched Zack Snyder’s famous 2007 fantasy historical film “300”, might think they know the ancient Greek story of Leonidas and the battle of Thermopylae, but the historic facts are quite different to what was portrayed in the fantasy film. Ancient Greek philosophy began in Miletus with the pre-Socratic philosopher Thales and … 2. The farcical errors committed in grammar, syntax, and punctuation demonstrated in his comment alone, prove how atrocious an article from him would be. The majority of Thales’ ideologies come from Aristotle, who points to Thales as the first person to have investigated basic principles such as the origin of matter. Aristotle studied a wide variety of subjects, including science, ethics, government, physics and politics, and wrote extensively on them. In fact, he is best known for the theorem in geometry that is named after him. 1. His philosophical views much revolved around the nature itself. Socrates (c. 469-399 BCE)“Strong minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, weak minds discuss people.”. 8. He was also the first person, along with his mentor Leucippus, to advance the hypothesis that all matter is composed of small invisible particles called atoms. In a word…Bureaucracy! Aristotle is truly a key figure in ancient Greek philosophy whose influence went on to have an impact way beyond the bounds of ancient Greece. The truth is, an actual Professor won’t attach his NAME, (as he did) because there are too many cantankerous people to answer to. Another pre-Socratic Greek philosopher, Pythagoras is known far more for his theories and ideas in mathematics than in philosophy. I wonder how much influence did the Oracle have on Ancient Greek Philosophical thought? Most of his works, especially his most famous work The Republic, combine various aspects of ethics, political philosophy, and metaphysics among others, into a systematic, meaningful, and applicable philosophy. Thales is also said to be the founder of school of natural philosophy. He regarded the world as perfect harmony and aimed his teaching on how to lead a harmonious life. In fact, he is best known for the theorem in geometry that is named after him. Empedocles and Thales are accomplished authors, I’ve discovered from here-and I’m grateful to learn of their achievements. For him, the highest of forms was that of the ‘good’, which he took as the cause of being and knowledge. Don’t be discouraged by the jealousy of the alleged professor. He simply rejected the presence of any void or empty space, thus completely contradicting the philosophical ideology of Parmenides. His attempt at deciphering this philosophical question (a rhetorical one, some might say) leads to a rather paradoxical statement rather than a satisfying answer. He devoted much of his time to explaining nature as it is, taking the universe as an undifferentiated mass until it was worked upon by a spiritual component which he called “nous” meaning “mind.” He believed that in the physical world, everything contained a part of everything else. If a philosophy is not directly applicable to people’s lives, that philosophy is useless. He also put forth the idea of opposite motive forces involved in building of the world – namely, love as the cause of union and strife as the cause of separation. Socrates is my favorite. Socrates embarked on a whole new perspective of achieving practical results through the application of philosophy in our daily lives, something that was largely missing in the approach of pre-Socratic philosophy. It states that all matter is basically composed of four primary elements – earth, air, fire, and water. He thought that change is the fundamental essence of the universe, as stated in the famous saying, "No man ever steps in the same river twice". The emergence of the entire Western philosophical tradition can be traced back to the era of ancient Greek philosophy. He regarded the world as the perfect harmony and based his teaching on how to lead a harmonious life. Here is a list of the top 10 most influential ancient Greek philosophers: Parmenides was a known follower of Pythagoras, another renowned figure in the philosophical paradigm of ancient Greece. He created the first world image of an open universe, a move away from the notion of a closed universe, making him the first speculative astronomer in human history. He proved to be an imaginative writer and equally creative polymath, gradually re-writing pre-established concepts in almost all areas of knowledge that he encountered. Anaximander of Miletus is the famous pupil of, and in many ways a philosophical successor to, Thales himself. Some legends also indicate that he was the first to teach that the Earth was round. The ancient Greek philosophers brought a refreshing new approach to this contemporary philosophical paradigm. On behalf of all historians, thank you for the time and effort you put into this well-written article. So, my choice does not represents others. Eratosthenes proved the earth was round. Am a philosophy student of deltastate university abraka,NIGERIA.Now I know that thales of miletus is the most significant philosopher,I thought it was socrate,thank you for helping me out,God bless,saugat, socrates is the greatest philosopher till date,his wisdom and philosophical thought are unimaginable.