Ancient Philosophers

Question 0

Plato

Answer 0

The Republic, the Symposium, the Meno, the Phaedo. Founded the Academy. Plato wrote in “Socratic Dialogues”.

Question 1

Socrates

Answer 1

Know only about him from his student, Plato. Question and answer method (Socratic Method). Was put on trial for corrupting the city’s (Athens) youth, forced to drink the hemlock. Known about through Plato’s writings

Question 2

Aristotle

Answer 2

Student of Plato. Tutor of Alexander the Great. Many of his works come from his lectures from his school, the Lyceum. Nicomachean Ethics, Physics, Poetics.

Question 3

Confucius

Answer 3

Chinese. Proper conduct rules still influence China today. Analects–compilation of sayings of Confucius made by his disciples

Question 4

Lao Tzu

Answer 4

Taoist traditional thinker. Tao te Ching. “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

Question 5

Diogenes

Answer 5

Student of Antisthenes, who founded Cynicism. Diogenes was very eccentric. Wandered Athens holding a lamp on a futile search for an honest man.

Question 6

Epicurus

Answer 6

Epicureanism. Believed pleasure was the highest good, and the absence of pain was the highest pleasure.

Question 7

Zeno of Elea

Answer 7

Student of Parmenides. Most famous for “Zeno’s paradoxes”.

Question 8

Thales

Answer 8

From Miletus, many consider to be the first philosopher. Also a civil engineer and mathematician.

Question 9

Cicero

Answer 9

Better remembered for his role in the political life of the Roman Empire