'Ancient philosophy' is the conventional title, in Europe and the English-speaking academy, for the philosophical activities of the thinkers of the Graeco-Roman world. It includes a succession of philosophers who operated over a 1,000-year period from the middle of the first millennium BC to the middle of the first millennium AD - from Thales and the earliest Pre-Socratics to late Neoplatonists and Aristotelian commentators, such as Simplicius and Philoponus. Later thinkers in Europe (e.g. Scotus Eriugena) are normally assigned to the category 'medieval', as are Arabic philosophers such as Avicenna and Averroës. Contemporary philosophers from other cultures (e.g. Confucius, Buddha) are also not included.
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The Cyrenaic school of classical Greek thought (aka Cyrenaicism) was founded by Aristippus of Cyrene and flourished during the fourth century BC. Its principal teaching was hedonism. No Cyrenaic writings survive.
Description: The Cyrenaic school of classical Greek thought (aka Cyrenaicism) was founded by Aristippus of Cyrene and flourished during the fourth century BC. Its principal teaching was hedonism. No Cyrenaic writings survive.
Description: Links to the categories of ancient philosophers associated with the Eleatic school.
Please don''t submit or list sites here. If they pertain to Eleatic philosophy in general, please send them to Eleaticism. If they pertain to a specific philosopher, please send them to Philosophers, or to the appropriate subcategory.
Established by Epicurus in 306 BCE, just outside the walls of Athens. Epicureanism consisted of a way of life directed at worldly happiness and an atomistic account of the exclusively material nature of reality. Atomism, it was argued, was true. Hence the way pointed out by Epicurus could be presented as not merely psychologically satisfying, but in accord with the true nature of things.
By the turn of millennium Epicureanism, true to its precept 'live unnoticed' was yielding place to Stoicism as the philosophy favored by influential Romans. Beyond the late second century we hear little from the Epicureans on their own behalf and in CE 361 Julianus Caesar wrote 'indeed the gods have already in their wisdom destroyed their works so that most of their books have ceased to be'.
Diogenes Laertius cited Epicurus' works as 'the beginning of happiness'.
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The Megarian or Eristic school of classical Greek thought was founded by Euclides of Megara. Its adherents were known for their highly disputatious methods. The school's own ideas appear to have been strongly affected by Eleatic teachings. None of the Megarians' writings have come down to us.
Description: The Megarian or Eristic school of classical Greek thought was founded by Euclides of Megara. Its adherents were known for their highly disputatious methods. The school''s own ideas appear to have been strongly affected by Eleatic teachings. None of the Megarians'' writings have come down to us.
"Middle Platonism" is the term used for the Platonic thought of the period between the decline of the skeptical Academy and the rise of Neoplatonism. Its principal representatives were Albinus and Philo, both of whom have extant writings.
Description: "Middle Platonism" is the term used for the Platonic thought of the period between the decline of the skeptical Academy and the rise of Neoplatonism. Its principal representatives were Albinus and Philo, both of whom have extant writings.
The Milesian School, a group of early Greek philosophers from the city of Miletus. Although no Milesian writings have survived intact, the teachings of the school's members appear to have centered on cosmological concerns, particularly the underlying substance of the universe.
Description: The Milesian School, a group of early Greek philosophers from the city of Miletus. Although no Milesian writings have survived intact, the teachings of the school''s members appear to have centered on cosmological concerns, particularly the underlying substance of the universe.
A later form of Platonic philosophy that had its primary development as a school of thought in the Roman Empire from the third to the fifth century AD. Countering dualistic interpretations of Plato's thought, it is a highly monistic version, namely, one that posits a superexistent Source of all being that extends itself into various lower levels of being, with each lower level being a weaker extended expression of the level just above it. Its founder was Plotinus (204-70), a Hellenized Egyptian who at the age of 40 established an academy of philosophy in Rome and taught in it for the next twenty-five years. Some of its basic tenets, however, likely came from his teacher, Ammonius Saccas (185-250), with whom he had studied philosophy in Alexandria for eleven years when he was a young man. The term 'Neoplatonism' itself is of fairly recent origin, going back only to the mid-nineteenth century when German scholars first used it to distinguish the views of the later Greek and Roman Platonists from those of Plato.
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Peripateticism ("the Peripatetic School," "the Lyceum"), the school of Aristotle and his followers. Peripatetic doctrines were popular in late antiquity, and became very strong in medieval thought.
Description: Peripateticism ("the Peripatetic School," "the Lyceum"), the school of Aristotle and his followers. Peripatetic doctrines were popular in late antiquity, and became very strong in medieval thought.
School of religious and philosophical thought in ancient Greece, founded by Pythagoras of Samos. Although the specific teachings of this school are unclear, they centered on number mysticism.
Description: School of religious and philosophical thought in ancient Greece, founded by Pythagoras of Samos. Although the specific teachings of this school are unclear, they centered on number mysticism.
The Sophists of classical Greece arose in the 5th century BC. They did not constitute an organized school of thought, but were a group of professional rhetoricians who frequently expounded on philosophical topics. Although excoriated by Aristotle and Plato, their argumentative techniques had a great effect on the development of Western philosophy.
Description: The Sophists of classical Greece arose in the 5th century BC. They did not constitute an organized school of thought, but were a group of professional rhetoricians who frequently expounded on philosophical topics. Although excoriated by Aristotle and Plato, their argumentative techniques had a great effect on the development of Western philosophy.
The Academy (akademeia), originally the name of a district of Athens, came to refer to the school of Plato and his successors, who taught there. The history of the Academy is customarily divided into the Old and New Academies, the New Academy (beginning with Carneades) being a largely Skeptical school. Although the Academy ceased to be influential after the 2nd century BC, it did not cease operations until 529 AD.
Description: The Academy (akademeia), originally the name of a district of Athens, came to refer to the school of Plato and his successors, who taught there. The history of the Academy is customarily divided into the Old and New Academies, the New Academy (beginning with Carneades) being a largely Skeptical school. Although the Academy ceased to be influential after the 2nd century BC, it did not cease operations until 529 AD.