The Classical Philosophers and their Philosophies

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  • 469 BCE

    SOCRATES

    SOCRATES
    Socrates was an Athenian Philosopher who encouraged citizens to critically examine the foundational beliefs in Greece relating to Athenian politics and society. He was accused of corrupting the youth and was sentenced to death by poison. His main philosophy was that no one commits an act of evil knowingly. He believes that one makes decisions based on what one thinks is best at that moment. He also believes that one will only commit an act of moral evil if one is ignorant to morality.
  • 428 BCE

    PLATO

    PLATO
    Plato is deemed as the most important Western Civilization Philosopher, and one of the greatest philosophers of all time. He held moral values that he considered to be objective because they existed in a spirit-like realm that was beyond human subjectivity. He focused on challenging the perceptions of people on "goodness" because as believed that it is the reason why people can not attain happiness. His main philosophy was that one can only hope to be happy when one is virtuous.
  • 384 BCE

    ARISTOTLE

    ARISTOTLE
    Aristotle was recognized as "The First Teacher" in Arabic Philosophy. His ethics were focused on what actions were conducive to a man's good. From this, he formed arguments which state that virtues are good habits acquired by regulated emotions and fall in between extreme characteristics (too much or too little). With these, he was able to create his own philosophy, "The Golden Mean Principle," which states that only a life of simplicity and moderation can allow one to attain happiness.

  • THOMAS HOBBES

    THOMAS HOBBES
    Thomas Hobbes is an english philosopher that believed in the evil nature of man. He believes that human beings are selfish and would do anything for power. He states that people should not be trusted to make decisions on their own because it would only cause havoc for the rest of society. He emphasizes the importance of laws and governance, and implies that the lack of it may result in chaos- the outcome that Hobbes' "Moral Positivism" anticipates.

  • JEREMY BENTHAM AND JOHN STUART MILL

    JEREMY BENTHAM AND JOHN STUART MILL
    John Stuart Mill (1804) and Jeremy Bentham (1748) are known as "The Classic Utilitarians." Bentham was the first to develop the systematic account of utilitarianism but the idea to increase "utility" by behaving morally appropriate originated way back. Mill, a follower of Bentham, believed that instead of simple pleasures leading to happiness (Bentham's belief), attaining a higher level of intellect and being desirable was more sensible. The concept was only established in the 19th century.