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620 BCE
Thales (620-546 BCE)
“The past is certain, the future obscure.” Thales of Miletus was a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher who had a significant impact. He was among the Seven Ancient Wise Men. He is well known for his creation of the universe, which saw Earth as a flat disk floating on a huge sea. Thales' daring theories freed phenomena from divine interference, paving the way for science. -
469 BCE
Socrates (469-399 BCE)
"No one commits an evil act knowingly and doing wrong arises of ignorance" Western philosophy began with Athens-born Socrates. His debates with other philosophers, particularly Plato, have made significant contributions to the study of ethics and education, for which he is best known. Though he did not claim to comprehend virtue, he felt that those who conduct badly do so because they do not grasp virtue. -
428 BCE
Plato (428-348 BCE)
"It is only by being virtuous that we can hope to be happy" Plato founded the Academy in Athens, the first Western institution. The pursuit of happiness is central to Plato's theory of virtue and his theory of human fulfillment. According to Plato, a wise individual is one who utilizes his intellect to comprehend and act in accordance with the reality of morality. -
384
Aristotle (384-322 BCE)
"The Golden Mean Principle states that to be happy, live a life of moderation" Aristotle was widely considered to be one of the most significant philosophers ever because of his work in several fields, including reasoning, mathematics, ethics, etc. Virtues, according to Aristotle, are learned behaviors that keep our feelings in check. Unlike Plato, he did not view virtues as simple knowledge. He defined the process as one that required moderation and harmony with nature. -
Thomas Hobbes (1585-1679)
"Curiosity is the lust of the mind" The political ideas of Thomas Hobbes are what brought him the most fame. The issue of social and political order is at the forefront of his mind, namely the question of how people might live in harmony without the threat or fear of civil strife. Laws are reasonable because legal power enacts them and society accepts them, according to positivists. -
JEAN-FRANÇOIS LYOTARD (1924–1998)
“Scientific knowledge is a kind of discourse.” Jean-François Lyotard's most famous book, The Postmodern Condition, was published in 1979, much to his dismay. Events, according to Lyotard, always take place in the face of what is not presentable to a phenomenology, discourse, language game, or phrase regimen, an argument he makes throughout his career, beginning with his work on phenomenology and continuing through Discourse, Figure, Libidinal Economy, and The Postmodern Condition.
