Timeline of Major Ethical Philosophies

Jean-François Lyotard ( 1924 - 1998 )

1924 BCE

“Artists are men who want to become inhuman.” He is best known for his articulation of postmodernism after the late 1970s and the analysis of the impact of postmodernity on the human condition. According to Lyotard, research is not served by performativity's use of legitimacy. He does not assert that the goal of study should be to produce "the truth," nor does he attempt to revive the metanarratives of modernity to support his position. He views research's function as the generation of ideas.

Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel ( 1770 - 1831 )

1770 BCE

“Education is the art of making man ethical” According to Hegel, our brains only have access to ideas about the world—images, perceptions, and concepts—rather than actual experiences of the world or anything contained within it. The idea of freedom is embodied in ethical life because on the one hand, it is the good brought to life, the good given self-awareness with knowledge, will, and action, and on the other hand, self-awareness has its absolute base in the ethical world.

Immanuel Kant ( 1724 - 1804)

1724 BCE

"We are not rich by what we possess but by what we can do without." Nearly every philosophical movement that came after Kant has benefited greatly from his contributions to metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, and aesthetics. He created the Kantian ethics, which sprang from the rationalism of the Enlightenment and is founded on the idea that the only thing that is inherently good is a good will; an action can only be good if its maxim, or guiding principle, is obligation to the moral law.

Thomas Hobbes ( 1588 - 1679 )

1588 BCE

“Curiosity is the lust of the mind.” Hobbes maintained that we must attempt to build peace because it is required by the morally fundamental laws of nature, and that peace can only be achieved by the establishment of an absolute sovereign. He argued that the only person with the authority to enact rules governing human behavior is the sovereign. According to his idea, since everyone has a natural right to everything, you couldn't possibly do me any harm in the state of nature.

Thales of Miletus (620 BC–546 BC)

620 BCE

“The past is certain, the future obscure.” Thales was credited as the founder of the school of natural philosophy by Aristotle, who served as the principal source for Thales' philosophy and science. Thales was the first to look into the fundamental concepts and the issue of the substances that gave rise to matter, according to Aristotle. The vast majority of information, including philosophy, history, physics, mathematics, engineering, geography, and politics, piqued Thales' curiosity.

Socrates ( 469 BCE - 399 BCE )

469 BCE

“Do not do to others what angers you if done to you by others.” Socrates was fascinated with the study of logical reasoning, particularly in the area of ethics. (good and evil). He challenged his townmates to look critically about themselves, their gods, and their ideals rather than relying on the opinions of others. He felt he was helping the city of Athens and its inhabitants by exposing their erroneous beliefs. He preached that people should worry more about their souls.

Plato ( 428 BCE - 348 BCE )

428 BCE

“There is no harm in repeating a good thing.” Plato upholds a virtue-based, eudaemonistic ethic like all other classical thinkers. In other words, the greatest goal of moral behavior and cognition is to promote human well-being, or eudaimonia; the virtues, or aretê, are the necessary capacities and qualities of character. At least 25 philosophical works were produced by Plato. He is credited as one of the founders of Western philosophy and devoted his life to learning and teaching.

Aristotle ( 384 BCE - 322 BCE )

384 BCE

"For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them.” Aristotle is widely regarded as one of the most prominent philosophers. Aristotle highlighted the practical nature of virtue and the fact that the goal of ethics is to improve oneself, not only to acquire knowledge. Aristotle contends that the proper path of conduct is not determined by just implementing the rule, but rather relies on the specifics of a certain circumstance.