"Ancient Greek philosophy arose in the 6th century BC. Philosophy was used to make sense of the world using reason."
The start of philosophy as we know it began with the ancient Greeks. This includes the work of Plato, Aristotle, and other notable philosophers who contributed to the history of psychology.
Pre-Socratic Philosophy: This period encompasses the philosophical ideas that existed before the time of Socrates, including the Milesian school, Eleatics, and Pythagoreans, among others.
Socratic Philosophy: This period revolves around the ideas of Socrates, who is considered the founder of Western philosophy. Socrates is famous for his method of dialogue or elenchus, which seeks to arrive at the truth through asking questions.
Plato: Plato was Socrates' most famous disciple and is considered one of the most significant philosophers in history. His works, including The Republic and The Symposium, examine topics such as ethics, politics, and metaphysics.
Aristotle: Aristotle was Plato's most famous student and went on to create his own philosophical system. His ideas revolve around metaphysics, ethics, biology, and politics.
Hellenistic Philosophy: This period represents the ideas that emerged after the death of Aristotle and includes schools of thought such as Stoicism, Epicureanism, and Cynicism.
Neoplatonism: This school of thought emerged in the third century and synthesized the ideas of Plato with those of other philosophers such as Pythagoras and Aristotle.
Skepticism: This school of thought emphasizes the importance of questioning assumptions and conventional wisdom. Pyrrho of Elis is considered the founder of this school of philosophy.
Sophism: This school of thought emphasizes the importance of rhetoric and debate in arriving at the truth. Protagoras, one of the most famous sophists, is known for the statement "Man is the measure of all things.".
Ancient Greek Religion: Understanding the religious beliefs and practices of the ancient Greeks is crucial to understanding their philosophy. The Greek gods and goddesses played a significant role in shaping their worldview.
Mythology: Greek mythology is a crucial part of understanding ancient Greek philosophy since many of the works of philosophers like Plato and Aristotle use mythological stories to illustrate their ideas.
Pre-Socratic Philosophy: This was the earliest Western philosophical thought that emerged before Socrates. The Pre-Socratics emphasized that the natural world could be explained by natural means instead of supernatural means.
Socratic Philosophy: This philosophy was developed by Socrates, and his primary focus was on ethics. He believed that people could be educated to do good, and that virtuous actions were the result of knowledge.
Platonic Philosophy: Developed by Plato, this philosophy was based on abstract ideas and forms that exist separately from the physical world. It emphasizes the importance of knowledge over the senses and teaches that the ultimate goal of humanity is to reach enlightenment.
Aristotelian Philosophy: Developed by Aristotle, this philosophy emphasizes the importance of observation and empirical evidence. Its main focus is on metaphysics, logic, ethics, and political philosophy.
Hellenistic Philosophy: This philosophy emerged after the death of Aristotle and included schools of thought such as Epicureanism, Stoicism, and Skepticism. These schools emphasized personal happiness, moral integrity, and the pursuit of knowledge.
Neoplatonic Philosophy: This philosophy incorporated elements of Platonism with a more mystical and religious approach. It emphasized the divine and the idea that humans were capable of experiencing a spiritual connection with the universe.
Pythagoreanism: This philosophy was based on the teachings of Pythagoras and emphasized the importance of numbers and mathematical principles. It believed that everything in the universe could be explained through numbers and geometric shapes.
Sophism: This philosophy was developed by the Sophists, who were traveling teachers that offered instruction on public speaking, ethics, and politics. They taught that truth was relative, and that people could use language to manipulate others.
Cynicism: This philosophy emphasized self-sufficiency and rejected the materialistic values of the time. It taught that happiness was found through living a simple life and rejecting societal norms.
Eclecticism: This philosophy combined elements of various schools of thought and emphasized the importance of individual choice and experience over doctrine. It believed that people could find wisdom by drawing from multiple sources.
"It dealt with a wide variety of subjects, including astronomy, epistemology, mathematics, political philosophy, ethics, metaphysics, ontology, logic, biology, rhetoric, and aesthetics."
"Greek philosophy has influenced much of Western culture since its inception, and can be found in many aspects of public education."
"Alfred North Whitehead once noted: 'The safest general characterization of the European philosophical tradition is that it consists of a series of footnotes to Plato'."
"The extent of this influence is widely debated. The classicist Martin Litchfield West states, 'contact with oriental cosmology and theology helped to liberate the early Greek philosophers' imagination; it certainly gave them many suggestive ideas. But they taught themselves to reason.'"
"Subsequent philosophic tradition was so influenced by Socrates as presented by Plato that it is conventional to refer to philosophy developed prior to Socrates as pre-Socratic philosophy."
"The periods following this, up to and after the wars of Alexander the Great, are those of 'Classical Greek' and 'Hellenistic philosophy,' respectively."
"Greek philosophy continued throughout the Hellenistic period and later evolved into Roman philosophy."
N/A (The paragraph does not explicitly mention specific philosophers.)
"[Greek philosophy] can be found in many aspects of public education" during these periods.
"It dealt with a wide variety of subjects, including... political philosophy, ethics... biology..."
"It dealt with a wide variety of subjects, including... mathematics."
"It dealt with a wide variety of subjects, including... biology."
"It dealt with a wide variety of subjects, including... aesthetics."
"The European Renaissance and the Age of Enlightenment."
"It dealt with a wide variety of subjects, including... logic."
"Philosophy was used to make sense of the world using reason."
"But they taught themselves to reason. Philosophy as we understand it is a Greek creation."
"It dealt with a wide variety of subjects, including... rhetoric."
"Greek philosophy has influenced much of Western culture since its inception, and can be found in many aspects of public education."