Discover the 43 most famous philosophers of all time

Philosophy contributed to the generation of knowledge throughout history. The first to philosophize have asked themselves about that principle that is the cause of all things. However, they were not the only ones who reflected on nature and the world in which we live. Therefore, in this article, We present to you the 43 most famous philosophers in the history of thought.

And this discipline is characterized by always being open and never unfinished. This means that it seems to have no end. Despite this, it is an excellent tool for thinking rationally about the world we inhabit. Here you will find the main ideas of these highly influential intellectuals.

Who are the famous philosophers of all time?

Philosophy is self-reflective, that is, it always comes back to think about itself. The virtue of this circularity is that its concepts are consistent with each historical moment. Because of this, its existence grants freedom to our own lives, as an article in the UIS Philosophy Magazine.

This means that the conceptual categories of this discipline are a useful tool for thinking, acting and expressing ourselves. Next, we list those famous philosophers, who They tried to give a rational response to the problems that have plagued us since ancient times.

1. Thales of Miletus (624 BC – 546 BC)

Thales of Miletus was born in 624 BC. C. in a Greek polis called Miletus. He is considered the initiator of Western philosophy and is therefore one of the first famous philosophers in history. With his thought he was a pioneer in attempting a rational explanation of the world and nature. This without appealing to mythical stories.

His main contribution to philosophy was to argue that water was the primordial and original element from which all things arise.

2. Heraclitus of Ephesus (535 BC – 470 BC)

Heraclitus is considered one of the most important pre-Socratic philosophers. He was born in the year 535 BC. C. in Ephesus, a city in Ionia. His main contribution to philosophical thought was the concept of logos, translated as word, reason or discourse. According to this intellectual, Our world is governed by a perpetual orderly and measured evolution through logos.

Likewise, in addition to change, according to Heraclitus there is discord. This means that Everything in life is governed by a tension between opposites. In this way, he considers that discord is harmony, the only one possible.

Heraclitus’s thought was very influential for the development of later philosophy, mainly for Plato and ancient philosophy.

3. Democritus of Abdera (460 BC – 360 BC)

Democritus of Abdera is known as the greatest materialist philosopher of ancient Greece. He was born in 460 BC in Abdera and his contributions to philosophical thought positioned him as the founder of the atomistic theory along with Leucippus.

According to Democritus, Things originate from two principles: atoms and vacuum. In this way, atoms represent the material of bodies, characterized as immutable, eternal and in constant movement. For its part, the void represents non-being, that is, it is the cause of the multiplicity and movement of things.

Thus, the void allows movement, generation and corruption. And, as we know, everything that is transformed and destroyed cannot be a source of knowledge according to ancient philosophy. You only have to know about the things that don’t change.

Regarding the influence of Democritus’s thought, atomism was a source of dispute for both ancient and modern philosophers. However, for the latter, Democritus served as a source of inspiration for physicists such as Newton and Einstein.

4. Socrates (469 BC – 399 BC)

Socrates is undoubtedly one of the most famous philosophers in history. He was born in the year 469 BC. C. in Alopece. His figure was so important that inaugurated a new phase in the discipline known as philosophical anthropology. Therefore, his concern was focused on moral issues, always taking into account rationality, logical analysis and the search for universal truths.

The influence of Socrates was very important for Western philosophy. This was because This philosopher marked a before and after in the history of thought.

5. Plato (427 BC – 347 BC)

A disciple of Socrates, Plato is another of the most famous philosophers in the history of Greek thought. He was born in the year 427 BC. C. in Athens and died in 347 BC. C. in the same city. His thought encompassed moral, political and epistemological issues.

His best-known approach is the theory of ideas. In it he postulates the metaphysical existence of two different worlds or realities. One is the intelligible world or of ideas and the other is the sensible world. In this way, he established a dualism that was not only epistemological. Since he also maintains that the human being is a composite of soul and body, the first being the most important quality of man.

On the political level, his thoughts were expressed in his dialogue The Republic, where Plato expresses his ideals to constitute a perfect society. According to this, each person had to occupy the place designated to them from birth, generating a hierarchical community.

6. Aristotle (384 BC-322 BC)

Aristotle was another of the most famous philosophers of ancient Greece. He was born in 384 BC. C. in Stagira and died in 322 BC. C. He was a disciple of Plato, however, much of his thought was developed distancing himself from the teachings of his teacher.

This thinker turned out to be a great critic of Plato’s theory of ideas. Instead, he maintained that concrete, individual entities in the sensible world are real entities that can be known. This knowledge is achieved from sensible experience.

The same way, Aristotle is considered one of the first systematic investigators of science as a whole. This is because his philosophy encompassed topics of logic, metaphysics, ethics, politics, rhetoric, physics, and biology. Therefore, his area of ​​study was diversified.

His influence was very decisive in the Middle Ages, whose writings reached the West thanks to the translations made by Boethius. His philosophy was also taken up by Christian thinkers to found a theology based on philosophical foundations.

7. Epicurus (342 BC – 270 BC)

Epicurus was born in 342 BC. C. in Samos, Greece. He is known as the founder of the philosophical school called Epicureanism. This philosophy maintained that pleasure was the source of human happiness, so we are dealing with a hedonistic doctrine.

But his hedonism is not concupiscent, but rather rational. Epicurus maintained that It is not about seeking bodily pleasures, but rather achieving more spiritual ones.

Therefore, His philosophy proposed a moderate and self-controlled existence. This was very opposite to what his interpreters erroneously maintained, who considered him to be a hedonist unconcerned with spiritual matters. As for his influences, we can trace in John Stuart Mill, with his utilitarian philosophy, vestiges of the Epicurean school.

8. Seneca (4 BC – 65 AD)

Seneca is one of the most famous philosophers of the Roman Empire. He was born in the year 4 BC. C. and He was a leading exponent of the philosophical school known as Stoicism. It emphasized the control of passions through reason and self-control.

Only in this way could one live a virtuous life, considered by Seneca as a supreme good and source of happiness. Thus, Stoicism proposed the search for wisdom and emotional tranquility through reason.

9. Saint Augustine (354-430)

Saint Augustine or Augustine of Hippo was one of the first Christian philosophers in the West. He was born in the year 354 AD in the Roman Empire.

The genius of Saint Augustine was in inserting Greek philosophy into Christian thought. So, argued that the philosophical doctrine is the love of God. Augustine’s concern was focused on creating a philosophy that has Christ as the essential content of philosophical thought.

His great contribution to philosophy was to construct for the first time a formulation of the religious philosophy of Christianity.

10. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)

Thomas Aquinas was born in the year 1225 in the kingdom of Sicily. He is considered the most illustrious philosopher of all Christian Aristotelians. He established Aristotle as the primary source of philosophical authority in the Christian West.

In addition, It is attributed to Thomas Aquinas mark the boundaries between philosophy and theology which was often diffuse. Therefore, he considered the first as an exercise of human reason and the second as a divine revelation. In this way, this philosopher developed a synthesis between faith and reason, granting the latter greater autonomy.

11. Niccolò Machiavelli (1469-1527)

Niccolò Machiavelli was an Italian diplomat, philosopher, and politician whose most famous work is titled Prince. According to him, rulers had to use any means necessary to preserve their power. And this despite the obligation to use force to achieve it.

His conception that it is preferable for a ruler to be hated rather than loved is well known. Fear, according to Machiavelli, is more effective in maintaining order.

12. Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679)

Thomas Hobbes was an English philosopher born in 1588. He is recognized for being a defender of monarchical absolutism. In his most famous work, titled Leviathan, He explained his philosophical-political thoughts.

Hobbes considers that Human beings in the state of nature are violent and they are willing to fight to defend themselves. Therefore, they must establish a social contract so that people give up their freedom, in exchange for security and protection.

13. René Descartes (1596-1650)

René Descartes is one of the most famous philosophers of modern times. He was born in France in 1596 and is considered the founder of modern philosophy. The objective he pursued was to give philosophy a safe and firm path on new foundations.

Therefore, in his well-known work The metaphysical meditations, The starting point chosen by Descartes is methodical doubt. With it he denies the truth coming from the senses and sciences in general. This in order to find some sure truth to undertake her titanic philosophical task.

He found it in the thought and the self with his famous phrase Ego cogito, ergo sum. She can be translated as “I think, therefore I am”, thus identifying thought as the indubitable foundation of the existence of the self.

Descartes’ influences were important in science and mathematics. Likewise, he laid the foundations for the development of rationalism, a philosophical current…