Ancient Greek Philosophers - Their Role in Modern Philosophy

Ancient Greek Philosophy started in the 6^th Century BC and continued till the Ancient Greek period, which later vastly affected the Hellenistic period, Classical Islamic Philosophy, and European Renaissance. There are two main periods of Greek Philosophy. The first is pre-Socratic Philosophy, while the other is Classical Greek Philosophy. Famous Greek Philosophers and their philosophies are mentioned below according to these two periods.

Pre-Socratic Philosophers

Pre-Socratic Philosophy is the Greek Philosophy before the famous Greek philosopher Socrates. These philosophers were the first ones who asked rational questions about things like the creation of this universe and the reality of everything while refusing the previous mythological definitions. They were also the pioneers of scientific and mathematical study by introducing paradoxes and problems.

 According to Aristotle, Thales (624-546 BC) was the first Greek philosopher. He was born in Miletus on the western coast of Anatolia (Turkey). He founded the Milesian School. He believed that water is the base of every living thing. He used geometry to solve different problems, including the distance of ships from the shore, the height of Egyptian pyramids, etc.

Pythagoras (570-495 BC) founded the Pythagoreanism movement. He was born in Samos (Greece) and was a great mathematician, scientist, and musician. The famous Pythagorean theorem (a² + b² = c² ) is named after him as he popularized this geometric theory. In his religious philosophy, he believed in reincarnation. Under this belief, the soul of a dead person starts a new life after his death until it becomes immortal. [1] This belief is present in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and some sects of Muslims and Christians.  

Xenophanes (570-475 BC) was born in Ionia (western Anatolia). He was a Greek philosopher, poet, and theologian. Xenophanes was against the polytheism of the Ancient Greek religion and believed in a single God who is the greatest, eternal, absolutely different from mortal humans, and controls the whole universe. He is known as one of the first monotheists in the Greek world.

Heraclitus (535-475 BC) was another famous Ancient Greek Philosopher, born in Ephesus (west coast of Turkey). His main interests were Ethics, Metaphysics, Cosmology, and Politics. He believed everything in the universe is in motion, and fire is the base of everything. He is known as The Obscure due to difficulty understanding his major works. 

Parmenides (around 515-460 BC) was an ancient Greek philosopher who founded the Eleatic School of Philosophy. He was born in Elea (Italy). According to Parmenides, reality is absolute and can not be changed, while existence is necessary, eternal, and changeless. He also thought that sensory conceptions are untrustworthy and false. His ideas strongly affected Plato and Western philosophy.

Anaxagoras (510-428 BC) established the Pluralist School. According to his philosophy, Nous (mind) is the force behind arranging everything in the cosmos in order.

Empedocles (490-430 BC), another Pluralist philosopher, was of the view that all structures in the world are born from four elements: water, fire, air, and earth.

Democritus (460-370 BC) was one of the founders of Atomism. His works also include mathematics, cosmology, anthropology, and biology. He is much more known for his scientific work than philosophy, and many regarded him as the “founder of modern science.”

Classical Greek Philosophers

The most famous period in Greek knowledge and philosophy is the era of ‘Classical Greek Philosophers.’ There are three most famous and renowned philosophers of that time whose philosophies and ideas had affected the world in the past and the modern world. These great philosophers are Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle.

Socrates was born in Athens around 470 BC. The writings of his students, Xenophon and Plato, provide knowledge about most of his works and ideas. His most famous idea is the Socratic Method. In this scientific process, the reality of a matter is approached through a discussion between persons who ask questions from different points of view and reach an answer after discovering every aspect of a topic. He died in 399 BC when forced to drink a poisonous mixture after being found guilty of disbelieving the gods of the state and distorting the minds of youth with his ideology. His ideas greatly influenced the modern scientific approach. 

Plato was born in Athens around 425 BC. He was a great philosopher and mathematician and also a student of Socrates. Plato is famous for his ideas of realism and idealism. He presented his political philosophy in his book The Republic, where he advocated a Utopian city-state under the leadership of a Philosopher king. His works make him one of the founders of modern science and philosophy.

Aristotle (born in 384 BC in Stagira (Greece)) was a great ancient philosopher and scientist. He is renowned as the first genuine scientist in history. He was also the teacher of Alexander the Great. His works and ideas influenced Western Philosophy, Christian Philosophy, and many Muslim and Jewish philosophers. He was interested in many subjects, including ethics, metaphysics, biology, zoology, physics, politics, etc.

Importance

All these Ancient Greek Philosophers played a significant role in popularizing different branches of philosophy, education, and science as they were the pioneers of rational thinking. From ancient times until today, they influenced the world with their knowledge and wisdom.