The History of Philosophy: From Ancient to Modern Times
Each period and the important names of the periods are explained shortly
Ancient Philosophy (8th century BCE — 6th century CE)
- This period is known for the emergence of the earliest Western philosophers such as Thales, Pythagoras, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. They focused on questions about the nature of the universe, the role of human beings in the world, and the nature of knowledge and wisdom.
Thales: He is considered as the first philosopher and believed that the ultimate principle of the universe is water.
Pythagoras: He is considered as a philosopher, mathematician and mystic who wrote on mathematical principles, natural philosophy, and mysticism.
Socrates: He advocated for the method of questioning to acquire knowledge and is famous for the Socratic method. He is known for his famous quote “the unexamined life is not worth living.”
Plato: He wrote extensively on social and political issues and is known for his theory of forms or “Ideas” which is a theory of knowledge.
Aristotle: He wrote on a wide range of topics including natural philosophy, metaphysics, politics, ethics and biology. He is known for his theory of causation, which holds that all things have a cause or a reason for their existence.
Medieval Philosophy (6th century — 14th century)
- This period is known for the development of Christian and Islamic philosophy, as well as the preservation and continuation of ancient philosophy.
St. Augustine: He is known for his work on Christian theology and metaphysics, and his concept of “inner thought.”
Thomas Aquinas: He wrote on Christian theology and metaphysics and is known for his concept of “reasoning to God” and the Summa Theologica.
Renaissance (14th century — 17th century)
- This period saw a renewed interest in classical learning and the rediscovery of ancient texts.
René Descartes: He is considered as the founder of modern philosophy and is known for his famous quote “Cogito, ergo sum” (I think, therefore I am). He wrote extensively on the nature of knowledge, mind-body dualism, and the method of doubt.
Francis Bacon: He is known for his works on the scientific method and his advocacy for the use of observation and experimentation in the natural sciences.
Thomas Hobbes: He wrote on political philosophy, and is known for his work Leviathan, in which he expounded his belief in the social contract theory, and the need for a strong, centralized government to avoid the dangers of anarchy. John
Locke: He wrote extensively on political philosophy and his works Two Treatises of Government laid the foundation for liberal democracy. He is known for his theory of the “blank slate” or “tabula rasa” which states that the mind is a blank slate at birth and knowledge is acquired through experience.
Baruch Spinoza: He wrote on metaphysics, ethics and politics and is known for his concept of “God or nature” and his theory of determinism. Gottfried
Wilhelm Leibniz: He wrote on metaphysics, logic, and mathematics, and is known for his concept of monads and his theory of pre-established harmony.
The Enlightenment (17th century — 18th century)
- This period saw the rise of reason and scientific inquiry as the primary means of understanding the world.
Immanuel Kant: He wrote on metaphysics, ethics, and aesthetics and is known for his “Critique of Pure Reason” in which he laid the foundation for the concept of “transcendental idealism” and his “categorical imperative.”
David Hume: He wrote on epistemology, metaphysics, and ethics and is known for his concept of “empiricism” and his skepticism about the existence of causality and the self.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau: He wrote on politics, education and philosophy of the self. He is known for his concept of the “noble savage” and his theory of the “social contract.”
Modern Period (18th century — late 19th century)
- This period saw the rise of various schools of thought such as German Idealism, Romanticism, Utilitarianism, and Positivism.
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel: He wrote on metaphysics, epistemology and politics and is known for his concept of “dialectic” and his theory of “absolute spirit.”
Friedrich Nietzsche: He wrote on morality, religion, and culture, and is known for his concept of the “superman” and his critique of traditional morality.
Karl Marx: He wrote on economics, politics and society and is known for his theory of historical materialism and his concept of class struggle.
19th century
- This period saw the rise of various schools of thought such as German Idealism, Romanticism, Utilitarianism, and Positivism.
Arthur Schopenhauer: He wrote on metaphysics, ethics, and the nature of the will. He is known for his concept of “the will to live” and his theory of “the denial of the will.”
John Stuart Mill: He wrote on ethics, politics, and the concept of “utility” and he is known for his theory of “greatest happiness principle.”
Søren Kierkegaard: He wrote on existentialism, Christianity and the concept of “angst” and is known for his theory of “leap of faith.”
20th century
- This period saw the rise of various schools of thought such as Phenomenology, Existentialism, Analytic philosophy, and Pragmatism.
Martin Heidegger: He wrote on ontology, metaphysics, and the concept of “being.” He is known for his theory of “Dasein” (being-there) and his critique of traditional metaphysics.
Jean-Paul Sartre: He wrote on existentialism, freedom, and the concept of “nothingness.” He is known for his theory of “existentialism” and his concept of “radical freedom.”
Ludwig Wittgenstein: He wrote on logic, the limits of language, and the concept of “meaning.” He is known for his theory of “language games” and his concept of “language as a picture of reality.”
21st century
- This period has seen a continuation of various schools of thought from the 20th century, as well as the emergence of new areas of study such as feminist philosophy, postcolonial philosophy, and environmental philosophy.
Alain Badiou: He wrote on ontology, politics and the concept of “truth.” He is known for his theory of “event” and his concept of “radical politics.”
Slavoj Žižek: He wrote on psychoanalysis, politics and the concept of “ideology.” He is known for his theory of “the Real” and his concept of “the paradox of ideology.”
Gilles Deleuze: He wrote on ontology, epistemology, and the concept of “difference.” He is known for his theory of “rhizome” and his concept of “desire.”
Subscribe to my feed. (Get my stories to your inbox.)
Become a member and (or just) refer to me. (Support me with your membership fee.)
