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History of Western philosophy
Pre-Socratic philosophy
Medieval philosophy
Renaissance philosophy
17th-century philosophy
18th-century philosophy
19th-century philosophy
20th-century philosophy
Postmodern philosophy
Contemporary philosophy
See also:
Christian philosophy
Hindu philosophy
Islamic philosophy
Jewish 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. Image File history File links Cropped version of [1] File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... For the book by Bertrand Russell, see History of Western Philosophy (Russell) The usefulness of dividing philosophy into Western philosophy and other philosophies is open to challenge, not the least for speaking down to those other philosophies. ... The Pre-Socratic philosophers were active before Socrates, who exerted tremendous influence on later thought. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... By region Italian Renaissance Spanish Renaissance Northern Renaissance French Renaissance German Renaissance English Renaissance In his book The Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy, Jacob Burckhardt argued that, beginning in the 14th century a transformation in outlook and ideas began in Italy which would later cover all of Europe. ... 17th-century philosophy in the West is generally regarded as seeing the start of modern philosophy, and the shaking off of the mediæval approach, especially scholasticism. ... The Age of Reason is either Thomas Paines book The Age of Reason. ... In the 18th century the philosophies of The Enlightenment would begin to have dramatic effect, and the landmark works of philosophers such as Immanuel Kant and Jean-Jacques Rousseau would have an electrifying effect on a new generation of thinkers. ... The 20th century brought with it upheavals that produced a series of conflicting developments within philosophy over the basis of knowledge and the validity of various absolutes. ... Postmodern philosophy is an eclectic and elusive movement characterized by its criticism of Western philosophy. ... The term Contemporary philosopher refers not just to figures who are alive, but also those who passed away within the past three decades, irrespective of when their major works were written or when their work was most popular. ... Christian philosophy is a catch-all expression for a two-millennia tradition of rational thought that attempts to fuse the fields of philosophy with the religious teachings of Christianity. ... Hindu philosophy (one of the main divisions of Indian philosophy) is traditionally seen through the prism of six different systems (called darshanas in Sanskrit) that are listed here and make up the main belief systems of Hinduism. ... Islamic philosophy (الفلسفة الإسلامية) is a longstanding attempt to create harmony between faith, reason or philosophy, and the religious teachings of Islam. ... Jewish philosophy is not a universally agreed-upon term, but it does exist as a field of scholarship. ... The Pre-Socratic philosophers were active before Socrates, who exerted tremendous influence on later thought. ... The term Hellenistic (established by the German historian Johann Gustav Droysen) in the history of the ancient world is used to refer to the shift from a culture dominated by ethnic Greeks, however scattered geographically, to a culture dominated by Greek-speakers of whatever ethnicity, and from the political dominance... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Classical

Greek

• Pericles (495-429)
• Aspasia (469-406)
• Socrates(469-399)
• Euclid of Megara (450-380)
• Antisthenes (445-360)
• Aristippus (435-356)
• Plato (429-347)
• Xenophon (429-355)
• Speusippus (407-339)
• Diogenes of Sinope (400-325)
• Xenocrates (396-314)
• Aristotle (384-322)
• Stilpo (380-300)
• Theophrastus (370-288)
• Pyrrho (365-275)
• Epicurus (341-270)
• Zeno of Citium (365-263)
• Cleanthes (331-232)
• Timon (320-230)
• Arcesilaus (316-232)
• Menippus (3rd century BC)
• Archimedes (circa 287 BC - 212 BC)
• Chrysippus (280-207)
• Carneades (214-129)
• Philo of Larissa (160-80)
• Posidonius (135-51)
• Aenesidemus (1st century BC)
• Philo of Alexandria (30 BC - 45 AD)
• Plutarch (45-120)

Pericles (ca. ... Aspasia Aspasia (c. ... This article is about the ancient Greek philosopher, for all other uses see: Socrates (disambiguation) Socrates ca. ... Euclid of Megara, a Greek Socratic philosopher who lived around 400 BC, was the follower of Socrates. ... Antisthenes (c. ... Aristippus (c. ... Plato ( Greek: Πλάτων, Plátōn) (c. ... Xenophon (In Greek , c. ... Speusippus was an ancient Greek philosopher, nephew and successor of Plato. ... Diogenes by John William Waterhouse, depicting his lamp, tub and diet of onions Diogenes, the Cynic, Greek philosopher, was born in Sinope about 412 BC (according to other sources 399 BC), and died in 323 BC at Corinth, according to Diogenes Laërtius, on the day on which Alexander the... Xenocrates of Chalcedon (396 - 314 BC) was a Greek philosopher and scholarch or rector of the Academy from 339 to 314 BC. Removing to Athens in early youth, he became the pupil of the Socratic Aeschines, but presently joined himself to Plato, whom he attended to Sicily in 361. ... Aristotle (Ancient Greek: AristotelÄ“s 384–March 7 322 BCE) was an ancient Greek philosopher, who studied with Plato and taught Alexander the Great. ... Stilpo (Stilpon), Greek philosopher of the Megarian school, was a contemporary of Theophrastus and Crates. ... Statue of Theophrastus Theophrastus, a native of Eressos in Lesbos born c. ... Pyrrho (c360 BC - c270 BC), a Greek philosopher from Elis, is usually credited as being the first skeptic philosopher and is the founder of the school known as Pyrrhonism. ... Bust of Epicurus Epicurus (Epikouros or Επικουρος in Greek) (born Samos 341 BC–died Athens, 270 BC) was an Ancient Greek philosopher who was the founder of Epicureanism, one of the most popular schools of Hellenistic Philosophy. ... Zeno of Citium Zeno of Citium (The Stoic) (sometime called Zeno Apathea) (333 BC-264 BC) was a Hellenistic philosopher from Citium, Cyprus. ... Cleanthes (c. ... Timon (c. ... Arcesilaus (Ἀρκεσίλαος) (316_241 BC) was a Greek philosopher and founder of the New, or Middle, Academy. ... Menippus, of Gadara in Coele-Syria, Greek cynic and satirist, lived during the 3rd century BC. According to Diogenes Laërtius (vi. ... Archimedes of Syracuse. ... Chrysippus of Soli (279-207 BC) was Cleanthess pupil and eventual successor to the head of the stoic philosophy (232-204 BC). ... Carneades (c. ... PHILO OF LARISSA, Greek philosopher of the first half of the ist century B.C. During the Mithradatk wars he left Athens and took up his residence in Rome. ... The bust of Posidonius as an older man depects his character as a Stoic philosopher. ... Aenesidemus, Greek philosopher, was born at Cnossus in Crete and taught at Alexandria, probably during the first century BC. He was the leader of what is sometimes known as the third scepticismal school and revived to a great extent the doctrine of Pyrrho and Timon. ... Philo (20 BCE - 40 CE) was an Alexandrian Jewish philosopher born in Alexandria, Egypt. ... Plutarch Mestrius Plutarchus (c. ...

Roman

• Cicero (106-43)
• Lucretius (94-55 BC)
• Seneca (4 BC - 65 AD)
• Musonius Rufus (30 AD - 100)
• Epictetus (55-135)
• Marcus Aurelius (121-180)
• Clement of Alexandria (150-215)
• Alcinous (2nd century AD)
• Sextus Empiricus (3rd century AD)
• Alexander of Aphrodisias (3rd century AD)
• Ammonius Saccas (3rd century AD)
• Plotinus (205-270)
• Porphyry (232-304)
• Iamblichus (242-327)
• Themistius (317-388)
• Augustine of Hippo (354-430)
• Proclus (411-485)
• Damascius (462-540)
• Boethius (472-524)
• Simplicius of Cilicia (490-560)

Marcus Tullius Cicero (IPA: ;) (January 3, 106 BC – December 7, 43 BC) was an orator and statesman of Ancient Rome, and is generally considered the greatest Latin orator and prose stylist. ... Lucretius Titus Lucretius Carus (ca. ... Portrait bust formerly identified as Seneca the Younger Lucius Annaeus Seneca (often known simply as Seneca, or Seneca the Younger) (ca. ... Musonius Rufus, a Roman Stoic philosopher of the 1st century AD, was born in Volsinii, Etruria about AD 20-30. ... Epictetus (c. ... Marcus Aurelius Imperator Caesar Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus (April 26, 121 – March 17, 180) was Roman Emperor from 161 to his death. ... Clement of Alexandria (Titus Flavius Clemens), was the first member of the Church of Alexandria to be more than a name, and one of its most distinguished teachers. ... In Greek mythology, Alcinous (sometimes with the diacritical mark Alcinoüs; also transliterated as Alkínoös) was a son of Nausithous and father of Nausicaa and Laodamas with Arete. ... Sextus Empiricus (fl. ... Alexander of Aphrodisias, pupil of Aristocles of Messene, the most celebrated of the Greek commentators on the writings of Aristotle, and styled, by way of pre-eminence, o exegetes (the expositor), was a native of Aphrodisias in Caria. ... Ammonius Saccas (3rd century AD) was a Greek philosopher of Alexandria, often called the founder of the Neoplatonic school. ... Plotinus Plotinus (Greek: Πλωτίνος)(ca. ... For other meanings of Porphyry, see Porphyry Porphyry (c. ... Iamblichus (ca. ... Themistius (317 - c. ... St. ... Proclus Lycaeus (February 8, 412 – April 17, 485), surnamed The Successor or diadochos (Greek Πρόκλος ὁ Διάδοχος Próklos ho Diádokhos), was a Greek Neoplatonist philosopher, one of the last major Greek philosophers (see Damascius). ... Damascius, the last of the Neoplatonists, was born in Damascus about AD 480. ... Boethius teaching his students (initial from a 1385 Italian manuscript of the Consolation of Philosophy) Boethius redirects here. ... Simplicius, a native of Cilicia, a disciple of Ammonius and of Damascius, was one of the last of the Neoplatonists. ...

Schools of thought in the Hellenistic period

• Cynicism
• Epicureanism
• Hedonism
• Eclecticism
• Neo-Platonism
• Skepticism
• Stoicism

The term Hellenistic (established by the German historian Johann Gustav Droysen) in the history of the ancient world is used to refer to the shift from a culture dominated by ethnic Greeks, however scattered geographically, to a culture dominated by Greek-speakers of whatever ethnicity, and from the political dominance... Cynicism was originally the philosophy of a group of ancient Greeks called the Cynics (main article), founded by Antisthenes. ... Epicureanism is a system of philosophy based upon the teachings of Epicurus (c. ... Hedonism (Greek: hēdonē pleasure + –ism) describes any way of thinking that gives pleasure a central role. ... Eclecticism is an approach to thought that does not hold rigidly to a single paradigm or set of assumptions or conclusions, but instead draws upon multiple theories to gain complementary insights into phenomena, or applies only certain theories in particular cases. ... Neoplatonism (also Neo-Platonism) is an ancient school of philosophy beginning in the 3rd century A.D. It was based on the teachings of Plato and Platonists; but it interpreted Plato in many new ways, such that Neoplatonism was quite different from what Plato taught, though not many Neoplatonists would... The neutrality of this article is disputed. ... A restored Stoa in Athens. ...

Vedic philosophy

In the east, Indian 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: The Vedas (Sanskrit: वेद), collectively refers to a corpus of ancient Indo-Aryan religious literature that are associated with the Vedic civilization and are considered by adherents of Hinduism to be revealed knowledge. ... The Rigveda (Sanskrit: , a tatpurusha compound of praise, verse and knowledge) is a collection of hymns (sūkta, the individual verses are called , plural ) counted among the four Hindu religious texts known as the s, and contains the oldest texts preserved in any Indo-Iranian language. ...

"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). The religion of the Vedic civilization is the predecessor of classical Hinduism, usually included in the term. ... The Sanskrit word guna (guṇa) has the basic meaning of string or a single thread or strand of a cord or twine. In more abstract uses, it may mean a subdivision, species, kind, and generally quality. In Classical literature In Classical literature (e. ... The Sanskrit word guna (guṇa) has the basic meaning of string or a single thread or strand of a cord or twine. In more abstract uses, it may mean a subdivision, species, kind, and generally quality. In Classical literature In Classical literature (e. ... The Sanskrit word guna (guṇa) has the basic meaning of string or a single thread or strand of a cord or twine. In more abstract uses, it may mean a subdivision, species, kind, and generally quality. In Classical literature In Classical literature (e. ...

• Vedas
• Upanishads
• Hinduism

The Vedas (Sanskrit: वेद), collectively refers to a corpus of ancient Indo-Aryan religious literature that are associated with the Vedic civilization and are considered by adherents of Hinduism to be revealed knowledge. ... The Upanishads (उपनिषद्, Upanişad) are part of the Hindu Shruti scriptures which primarily discuss meditation and philosophy and are seen as religious instructions by most schools of Hinduism. ... This article is about the Hindu religion. ...

Classical Indian philosophy

In classical times, these inquiries were systematized in six schools of philosophy. 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 six schools of Indian philosophy are: The term Indian philosophy may refer to any of several traditions of philosophical thought, including: Hindu philosophy Buddhist philosophy Jain philosophy Carvaka philosophy See also Important publications in Indian philosophy This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

• Mimamsa
• Samkhya
• Yoga
• Vaisheshika
• Nyaya
• Vedanta

The main objective of the Purva (earlier) Mimamsa school was to establish the authority of the Vedas. ... Samkhya, also Sankhya, (Sanskrit: सांख्य) is a school of Indian philosophy, and is one of the six astika or Hindu philosophical schools of India. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Vaisheshika, also Vaisesika, (Sanskrit: वैशॆषिक)is one of the six Hindu schools of philosophy (orthodox Vedic systems) of India. ... Nyaya (pronounced as nyα:yə) is the name given to one of the six orthodox or astika schools of Hindu philosophy - specifically the school of logic. ... Vedanta (Vedānta, वेदान्त, pronounced as ////) means the anta or culmination or essence of the Vedas. ...

Old Iranian philosophy

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. The Vedas (Sanskrit: वेद), collectively refers to a corpus of ancient Indo-Aryan religious literature that are associated with the Vedic civilization and are considered by adherents of Hinduism to be revealed knowledge. ... See Avesta Municipality for the Swedish town Yasna 28. ... Human rights are rights which some hold to be inalienable and belonging to all humans. ... Cyrus the Great Cyrus II of Persia, also known as Cyrus the Great or Cyrus the Elder, (ca. ... Zarathustra can refer to one of two people: Zarathustra, also spelled Zarathushtra or Zoroaster, was an ancient Iranian prophet, founder of the Zoroastrian religion. ...

• Avesta
• Gathas
• Zarathustra
• Zoroastrianism
• Mazdakism
• Manichaeism

See Avesta Municipality for the Swedish town Yasna 28. ... The Gathas form the oldest part of Avesta, the holy scripture of the Zoroastrian religion, possibly composed by Zarathushtra (Zoroaster) himself. ... Zarathustra can refer to one of two people: Zarathustra, also spelled Zarathushtra or Zoroaster, was an ancient Iranian prophet, founder of the Zoroastrian religion. ... Zoroastrianism (Persian: آيين زرتشت , Aeen-e Zartosht) was once the state religion of Sassanid Persia, and played an important role during the preceding Achaemenid and Parthian eras. ... Mazdak was a proto-socialist Persian philosopher who gained influence under the reign of the Sassanian king Kavadh I. He was hanged and his followers were massacred by Khosrau I, Kavadhs son. ... Manichean priests, writing at their desk, with panel inscription in Sogdian. ...

Chinese philosophy

In 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. Taoism (sometimes written as Daoism) is the English name for: (a) a philosophical school based on the texts the Dao De Jing (ascribed to Laozi) and the Zhuangzi. ... Confucianist temple Thian Hock Keng in Singapore Confucianism (Chinese: 儒学, Pinyin: Rúxué‚ [ (help· info) ] , The School of the Scholars; or, less accurately, 孔教 Kŏng jiào, The Religion of Confucius) is an East Asian ethical and philosophical system originally developed from the teachings of the early Chinese sage Confucius. ...

• Chinese philosophy -- Confucianism, Taoism, Legalism
• Buddhist philosophy arose in India but contributions to it were made in China, Japan, and Korea also.
• Eastern philosophy

Yin/Yang symbol and ba gua poopoo outside of Nanning city, Guangxi province. ... Confucianist temple Thian Hock Keng in Singapore Confucianism (Chinese: 儒学, Pinyin: Rúxué‚ [ (help· info) ] , The School of the Scholars; or, less accurately, 孔教 Kŏng jiào, The Religion of Confucius) is an East Asian ethical and philosophical system originally developed from the teachings of the early Chinese sage Confucius. ... Taoism (sometimes written as Daoism) is the English name for: (a) a philosophical school based on the texts the Dao De Jing (ascribed to Laozi) and the Zhuangzi. ... Legalism is an approach to the analysis of legal questions characterized by abstract logical reasoning focusing on the applicable legal text, such as a constitution, legislation, or case law, rather than on the social, economic, or political context. ... Buddhist philosophy is the branch of Eastern philosophy based on the teachings of Gautama Buddha (c. ... Korea (한국, Hanguk, or 조선, Choseon) is a civilization and geographical area situated on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia, bordering China to the northwest and Russia to the northeast, with Japan situated to the southeast across the Korea Strait. ... Eastern philosophy refers very broadly to the various philosophies of India, Iran (Persia), China, Japan, and to an extent, the Middle East. ...

External links

• Internet sources