Pre-Socratic Great Greek Philosophers
Period marking the begining of science, as well as the development
of literature, arts,
politics, and philosophy. During these years,
the
city-states (polis in Greek) flourish. These include the
Sparta and Athens. Within this period
the Ionian School of natural philosophy was
founded by Thales of Miletus. This is considered the first school for
speculating about nature in a scientific way, hence
signifies the birth of science.
The Pythagorean Brotherhood is formed by
Pythagoras of Samos. This society
performed a great deal of progress in mathematics, but also
had mystical beliefs.
In addition to the Ionian and Pythagorian,
other schools of this period include the Eleatic School, the Atomists,
and the Sophists.
All philosophers - scientists up to Democritus are considered to be
PreSocratics.
Philosophers-Scientists
Thales of Miletus (624-560 B.C.).
Astronomer, mathematician and philosopher.
Learned astronomy from the Babylonians.
Founder of the Ionian school
of natural philosophy. Predicted the solar eclipse on May 28, 585.
Proved general geometric propositions on angles and triangles.
Considered water to be the basis of all matter. He believed
that the Earth floated in water.
Used the laws of prospectives to calculate the height of the
pyramids.
Anaximander (610-545 B.C.).Greek astronomer and philosopher,
pupil of Thales. Introduced the
apeiron(infinity).
Formulated a theory of origin and evolution of life, according
to which life originated in the sea from the
moist element
which evaporated from the sun (
On Nature).
Was the first to model the Earth according to scientific principles.
According to him, the Earth was a cylinder with a north-south
curvature, suspended freely in
space, and the stars where attached to a sphere that rotated
around Earth.
Anaximenes (570-500 B.C.).
Pupil of Anaximander. According to him, the rainbow is a natural phenomenon,
rather than the work of a god. Basic principle of the universe is air.
Pythagoras of Samos (569-500 B.C.).
Mathematician and philosopher. Was to first to believe
that the Earth was a sphere
rotating around a central
fire.
He believed that the
natural order could be expressed in numbers.
Known for the
Pythagorean theorem which was however known much
earlier.
Xenophanes (Caliphon, 570-475 B.C.). Greek philosopher
who speculated, based on fossils sea shells found on mountain tops,
that the surface of the Earth must have risen and fallen.
Heraclitus (Ephesus, 535-475 B.C.).
Considered fire to be the primary form of the real world.
According to him, everything is in the process of flux (panta rhei).
Parmenides of Elea (520-450 B.C.).
Like Pythagoras, he believed that the Earth was spherical.
Believed that change is illusory and nothing can be distroyed or changed.
He was a pupil of Xenophanes, and
was the principle representative of the Eleatic philosophy
Alcmaeon (Croton, 450 B.C.).
Pythagorean. Doctor and physical philosopher.
Discovered the main nerves and their route to the brain, which he considered
to be a primary organ of humans.
Zeno of Elea (495-435 B.C.). Greek philosopher and mathematician.
Known for his four paradoxes:
Dichotomy,
Achilles,
Arrow, and
Stadium. These paradoxes are related to
the notions of continuity and infinity. Lost his head after being
found guilty of treason.
Anaxagoras of Clazomenae (480-430 B.C.). Greek philosopher.
Believed that a large number of
seeds make up the properties
of materials, that heavenly bodies are made up of the same materials
as Earth and that the sun is a large, hot, glowing rock.
Discovered that the moon reflected light and formulated the
correct theory for the eclipses. Erroneously believed that the Earth
was flat.
Empedocles (Akragas, now Cicily, 492-440 B.C.). Natural philosopher. Introduced the idea
of elements. Recognized the heart as the center of a system of blood vessels,
but erroneously suggested that the heart is the origin of human emotions.
Considered that fire, air, earth, and water as the elementary substances.
According to legend, he died by falling into a volcano's crater after failing
to become a god as he predicted.
Melissus (Samos, 440 B.C.).
Belonged to the Eleatic School.
Hippasus of Metapontum. Pythagorian philosopher and mathematician.
Discovered that some numbers are not commensurable or, in today's terms,
not all numbers are rational. Discovered the dodecahedron, a solid
whose surface constisted of 12 regular pentagons.
Latter, he was sentenced to death by the Pythagorians.
Leucippus of Miletus (490-??? B.C.). Greek philosopher.
First to introduce the idea of the
atom, an indivisible unit of
matter.
This idea was later extended by his student, Democretus.
Meton of Athens (440-??? B.C.).
Developed the Meton cycle, a 19-year period in which,
as viewed from the Earth,
the motions of the
Earth and moon seem to come together.
This cycle can be used to predict
eclipses and forms the basis of the Greek and Jewish calendar.
Euctemon of Athens (430 B.C.).
Hippocrates of Chios. Wrote his
Elements almost
one century before Euclid's.
Hippocrates of Cos (460-377 B.C.). Considered as the father of Medicine.
He and his followers considered that diseases had a rational explanation
and cause, hence could be treated.
Inopedes (Chios, 400 B.C. ). Greek astronomer.
Believed to have first calculated the angle the Earth is tipped with respect
to the plane of its orbit. He found the value of 24 degrees which differs
only half degree from the presently accepted value of 23.5 degrees.
Gorgias (490-380 B.C.). Greek philosopher.
According to his nihilist philosophy,
nothing exists. If it did exist we could not know it, and
if we new it, we could not tell anyone about it.
Diogenes of Apollonia (425 B.C.)
Diogenes was a pupil of Anaximenes, whom he followed in making air the primary
element of all things but regarded that there was an intelligent principle
behind the order of the Universe. He wrote a number of books on Cosmology.
Philolaus (Tarentum or Croton, now Italy, 480-??? B.C.).
Pythagorean philosopher. Was the first to suggest that
there is some
central fire around
which the Earth, sun, moon and all planets rotate.
Protagoras (Abdera, 480-420 B.C.). Greek philosopher
and the earliest known Sophist.
Believed that sense perceptions are all that existed, thus reality differs
from one person to another.
Hippias (Elis, 450 B.C. ?). Belonged to the school of Sophists.
Taught astronomy and geometry.
Plato wrote two dialogues (Hippias Major and Hippias Minor)
concerning him.
Prodicus (Chios, 450 B.C. ?).. Also belonged to the school
of Sophists. His pupils include Socrates and Euripides.
Democritus (Abdera, Thrace, 470-380 B.C.).
Greek philosopher. Expanded the concept of atoms that was
introduced by his teacher Leucippus
and showed that atoms are the basis of all form of matter.
He recognizes that the Milky Way consists of a number of stars and that
the moon is similar to Earth.
Kindly Regards
Georgios
Sourses: Most of their Works I have in books. I found some on net to refer so you can get the info in English. Working on philosophers and their Works takes long time.
Links:
Thales of Miletus, Encyclopedia Britannica,
Thales of Miletus, University of St Andrews, Scotland,
Thales of Miletus,
Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy,
Thales of Miletus, MITLinks:
Anaximander,
Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy,
Anaximander, Encyclopedia Britannica,
Anaximander of Miletus, MITLinks:
Anaximenes, Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy,
Anaximenes of Miletus, Encyclopedia Britannica
Links:
Pythagoras,
Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Links:
Xenophanes, Internet Encyclopedia of PhylosophyLinks:
Parmenides of Elea, MITLinks:
Zeno of Elea, Encyclopedia Britannica,
Zeno of Elea, University of St Andrews, Scotland,
Zeno of Elea, Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy,
Zeno of Elea, MITLinks:
Anaxagoras of Clazomenae, MITLinks:
Hippocrates, Encyclopedia BritannicaLink:
Empedocles,
Internet Encyclopedia of PhilosophyLink:
Protagoras,
Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy