Ancient philosophy
This page lists some links to
ancient philosophy, although for Western thinkers prior to Socrates, see
Pre-Socratic philosophy. In Europe, the spread of Christianity through the Roman world marked the end of
Hellenistic philosophy and ushered in the beginnings of
Medieval philosophy.
Classical Greek philosophers
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Pericles (495-429 BC)
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Aspasia (469-406 BC)
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Socrates (469-399 BC)
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Euclid of Megara (450-380 BC)
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Antisthenes (445-360 BC)
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Aristippus (435-356 BC)
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Plato (429-347 BC)
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Xenophon (429-355 BC)
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Speusippus (407-339 BC)
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Diogenes of Sinope (400-325 BC)
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Xenocrates (396-314 BC)
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Aristotle (384-322 BC)
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Stilpo (380-300 BC)
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Theophrastus (370-288 BC)
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Pyrrho (365-275 BC)
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Epicurus (341-270 BC)
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Zeno of Citium (365-263 BC)
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Cleanthes (331-232 BC)
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Timon (320-230 BC)
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Arcesilaus (316-232 BC)
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Menippus (3rd century BC)
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Archimedes (c. 287-212 BC)
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Chrysippus (280-207 BC)
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Carneades (214-129 BC)
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Philo of Larissa (160-80 BC)
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Posidonius (135-51 BC)
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Aenesidemus (1st century BC)
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Philo of Alexandria (30 BC - 45 AD)
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Plutarch (45-120 AD)
Roman philosophers
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Cicero (106-43 BC)
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Lucretius (94-55 BC)
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Seneca (4 BC - 65 AD)
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Musonius Rufus (30 AD - 100 AD)
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Epictetus (55-135 AD)
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Marcus Aurelius (121-180 AD)
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Clement of Alexandria (150-215 AD)
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Alcinous (2nd century AD)
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Sextus Empiricus (3rd century AD)
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Alexander of Aphrodisias (3rd century AD)
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Ammonius Saccas (3rd century AD)
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Plotinus (205-270 AD)
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Porphyry (232-304 AD)
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Iamblichus (242-327 AD)
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Themistius (317-388 AD)
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Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD)
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Proclus (411-485 AD)
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Damascius (462-540 AD)
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Boethius (472-524 AD)
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Simplicius of Cilicia (490-560 AD)
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Cynicism*
Epicureanism*
Hedonism*
Eclecticism*
Neo-Platonism*
Skepticism*
StoicismIndian philosophy begins with the
Vedas where questions related to laws of nature, the origin of the universe and the place of man in it are asked. In the famous
Rigvedic Hymn of Creation the poet says:
"Whence all creation had its origin,he, whether he fashioned it or whether he did not,he, who surveys it all from highest heaven,he knows--or maybe even he does not know."
In the
Vedic view, creation is ascribed to the self-consciousness of the primeval being (
Purusha). This leads to the inquiry into
the one being that underlies the diversity of empirical phenomena and the origin of all things. Cosmic order is termed
rta and causal law by
karma. Nature (
prakriti) is taken to have three qualities (
sattva,
rajas, and
tamas).
*
Vedas *
Upanishads*
Hindu philosophyIn classical times, these inquiries were systematized in six schools of philosophy. Some of the questions asked were:
*What is the ontological nature of consciousness?
*How is cognition itself experienced?
*Is mind (
chit) intentional or not?
*Does cognition have its own structure?
The seven schools of
Indian philosophy are:
*
Mimamsa*
Samkhya*
Yoga*
Vaisheshika*
Nyaya*
Vedanta*
CarvakaOther traditions of Indian philosophy include:
*
Hindu philosophy*
Buddhist philosophy*
Jain philosophy
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Sikh philosophy
*
Carvaka atheist philosophy
Some ancient philosophers:
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Asanga (c. 300), exponent of the
Yogacara*
Bhartrihari (c 450â€"510 AD), early figure in Indic linguistic theory
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Bodhidharma (c. 440â€"528 AD), founder of the
Zen school of
Buddhism*
Chanakya (c.350 - c.275 BC) , author of
Arthashastra, professor (
acharya) of political science at the
Takshashila University *
DignÄga (c. 500), one of the founders of Buddhist school of
Indian logic.
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Gautama Buddha (563 BC - 483 BC), founder of
Buddhist school of thought
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Gotama (c. 2ndâ€"3rd century AD), wrote the
Nyaya Sutras, considered to be the foundation of the
Nyaya school.
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Kanada (c. 600 BC), founded the philosophical school of
Vaisheshika, gave theory of
atomism*
Jaimini, author of
Purva Mimamsa Sutras*
Kapila (c. 500 BC), proponent of the
Samkhya system of philosophy
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Nagarjuna (c. 150 - 250 AD), the founder of the
Madhyamaka (Middle Path) school of
MahÄyÄna Buddhism.
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Panini (520â€"460 BC), grammarian, author of
Ashtadhyayi*
Patañjali (between 200 BC and 400 AD), developed the philosophy of
Raja Yoga in his
Yoga Sutras.
*
Pingala (c. 500 BC), author of the
Chandas shastra *
Syntipas (c. 100 BC), author of
The Story of the Seven Wise Masters.
*
Tiruvalluvar (between 100 BC and 300 AD), author of
Thirukkural, one of the greatest ethical works in
Tamil language*
Vasubandhu (c. 300 AD), one of the main founders of the Indian
Yogacara school.
*
Vyasa, author of several important works in
Hindu philosophy*
Yajnavalkya (1800 BC ?), linked to philosophical teachings of the
Brhadaranyaka Upanishad, and the apophatic teaching of '
neti neti' etc.
While there are ancient relations between the Indian
Vedas and the Iranian
Avesta, the two main families of the Indo-Iranian philosophical traditions were characterized by fundamental differences in their implications for the human being's position in society and their view on the role of man in the universe. The first charter of
human rights by
Cyrus the Great is widely seen as a reflection of the questions and thoughts expressed by
Zarathustra and developed in zoroastrian schools of thought.
*
Avesta*
Gathas*
Zarathustra*
Zoroastrianism*
Mazdakism*
ManichaeismIn China, less emphasis was put upon materialism as a basis for reflecting upon the world and more on conduct, manners and social behaviour, as evidenced by
Taoism and
Confucianism.
*
Chinese philosophy --
Confucianism,
Taoism,
Legalism*
Buddhist philosophy arose in India but contributions to it were made in
China,
Japan, and
Korea also.
*
Eastern philosophy*
Internet sources
