Philosophy in ancient Greece

Our earliest records of philosophical thought in Greece come from Thales, who lived in the 6th century B.C.E. Thales and the other philosophers of the Milesian School, so called because they all came from the island of Miletus, sought to determine the origin of the universe and the single substance or principle that they believed gave form to all things. Thales believed this original principle was water, but others such as Anaximander, Anaximenes and Xenophanes disagreed, each suggesting their own theory of the original principle.

Following the Milesian School, new philosophies and schools of thought sprung up, many of which opposed the Milesian’s views of the world. Milesians and others who took a similar view are often called Monists, because they believed everything in the universe could be reduced to a single element or principle. Later philosophers, such as Empedocles and Anaxagoras, adopted a Pluralist view, the idea that the universe was composed of several elements whose movements and changes were governed by such principles as Love and Strife.

Philosophers during the Classical period, including the famous three (Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle), were less concerned with how the universe came to be than with how one could lead a good and virtuous life. Socrates was born in Athens in the 5th century B.C.E. His influence on philosophical thought was so profound that the time before him is often referred to as the Pre-Socratic period of philosophy. During Socrates’ time, philosophical thought flourished and philosophical education was available to many citizens. Greek men came to Athens, then the heart of philosophical thought, to study with Socrates and his contemporaries. Socrates was famous for his question-and-answer method of leading philosophical discussions, later called the Socratic method. Unfortunately, the political leaders of the time did not approve of the liberal views espoused by philosophers and so philosophy, especially that dealing with metaphysics, was outlawed. Socrates was sentenced to death for his philosophical views, but fortunately his influence lived on through his own writing and the writing of his students.

Another Athenian, Plato, was Socrates’ most famous student. Plato wrote his philosophical treatises in the form of a dialogue, usually featuring his teacher, Socrates. Plato is best known for a dialogue called The Republic, in which he outlined his vision of an ideal society governed by an assembly of philosopher kings. Plato also delved into metaphysical philosophy in his allegory of the Cave, in which he suggests that everything we see on Earth is merely a shadow of a true and eternal Form that exists on some higher plane.

Aristotle was a student of Plato, but he developed a philosophical view entirely different from that of his teacher. Aristotle took a scientific and pragmatic approach to philosophy, and rejected Plato’s ideas of eternal Forms. He served as tutor to Alexander the Great, and later established his own School of Philosophy, the Lyceum.