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Greek Philosophers and Their Timeline

About the Author: Abirlal Mukherjee

Assistant Professor (Amity University), Digital Humanist
Ph.D in English (GITAM, India), M.A. and B.A. in English (B.C.C., B.K.U, India), P.G.D.E. -I by Research (B.C.U, UK), TESOL Prof. Certification (Arizona State University, USA)

Founder, Chair of the Secretaries of University Learner, India School on Internet Governance Fellow 2024, IIM-B, Member of Internet Society, Bangalore, Internal Complaints Committee Member, GITAM Deemed to be University, Bengaluru, Teach for India Fellow 2023 and Fellowship Recruitment Committee, Delhi

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  1. Thales of Miletus (c. 624–c. 546 BCE)
    • Considered one of the first Western philosophers, Thales is known for proposing that water is the fundamental substance from which all things arise.
  2. Pythagoras (c. 570–c. 495 BCE)
    • Pythagoras is famous for his contributions to mathematics, including the Pythagorean theorem. He also founded a philosophical and religious school.
  3. Heraclitus (c. 535–c. 475 BCE)
    • Known for his doctrine of change and the idea that everything is in a state of flux. He famously said, “You cannot step into the same river twice.”
  4. Parmenides (c. 515–c. 450 BCE)
    • Parmenides argued for the existence of a single, unchanging reality and denied the reality of change and plurality.
  5. Empedocles (c. 490–c. 430 BCE)
    • Known for his theory of the four elements (earth, water, air, and fire) and his ideas on love and strife as fundamental cosmic forces.
  6. Anaxagoras (c. 500–c. 428 BCE)
    • Anaxagoras proposed that everything is composed of infinitely divisible particles called “nous” or “mind,” and that mind is the ultimate cause of the cosmos.
  7. Protagoras (c. 490–c. 420 BCE)
    • A prominent Sophist, Protagoras is known for his statement, “Man is the measure of all things,” which reflects his relativistic approach to knowledge and truth.
  8. Socrates (469–399 BCE)
    • Known primarily through the dialogues of his student Plato, Socrates is famous for his method of questioning (the Socratic method) and his ethical inquiries.
  9. Plato (c. 428/427–c. 348/347 BCE)
    • A student of Socrates, Plato founded the Academy in Athens and is known for his dialogues, which explore a wide range of philosophical topics, including metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, and politics.
  10. Aristotle (384–322 BCE)
    • A student of Plato, Aristotle is one of the most influential philosophers in Western history. He made significant contributions to nearly every area of philosophy, including metaphysics, ethics, politics, and natural philosophy (what we now call science).
  11. Epicurus (341–270 BCE)
    • Founder of the school of philosophy known as Epicureanism, which emphasized the pursuit of pleasure, tranquility, and the avoidance of pain as the highest goods.
  12. Zeno of Citium (c. 334–c. 262 BCE)
    • Founder of Stoicism, which taught that virtue is the highest good and that we should accept the natural order of the universe.
  13. Pyrrho (c. 360–c. 270 BCE)
    • Founder of Pyrrhonian skepticism, which advocated for the suspension of judgment and the search for ataraxia (freedom from disturbance).
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