# Greek Philosophy # Greek Philosophy ## Overview Greek philosophy (~600 BCE – ~500 CE) laid the foundations of Western intellectual tradition, encompassing metaphysics, ethics, logic, political theory, and natural science. ## Key Facts - Period: ~600 BCE (Thales) – ~529 CE (closure of Plato's Academy by Justinian) - Region: Greek world (Ionia, Athens, Alexandria, Rome) - Major schools: Pre-Socratics, Platonism, Aristotelianism, Stoicism, Epicureanism, Skepticism ## Major Figures - Thales of Miletus (~624–546 BCE): First philosopher, proposed water as the fundamental substance [^1] - Heraclitus (~535–475 BCE): "Everything flows" (*panta rhei*) - Socrates (~470–399 BCE): Socratic method, executed for impiety - Plato (~428–348 BCE): Theory of Forms, founded the Academy - Aristotle (384–322 BCE): Logic, natural science, ethics, politics; founded the Lyceum - Epicurus (341–270 BCE): Atomism, pleasure as the highest good - Zeno of Citium (~334–262 BCE): Founded Stoicism [^2] ## Legacy - Shaped Western philosophy, science, and political thought - Transmitted to the Islamic world and medieval Europe - Aristotle's works dominated European thought for ~2,000 years --- [^1]: Kirk, G.S. et al. *The Presocratic Philosophers* (Cambridge, 1983) [^2]: Long, A.A. *Hellenistic Philosophy* (University of California Press, 1986) --- ## Review Queue - [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 10: "Period: ~600 BCE (Thales) – ~529 CE (closure of Plato's Academy by Justinian)" - when was this true? > Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed. - [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 11: "Region: Greek world (Ionia, Athens, Alexandria, Rome)" - when was this true? > Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed. - [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 12: "Major schools: Pre-Socratics, Platonism, Aristotelianism, Stoicism, Epicurean..." - when was this true? > Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed. - [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 15: "Thales of Miletus (~624–546 BCE): First philosopher, proposed water as the ..." - when was this true? > Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed. - [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 16: "Heraclitus (~535–475 BCE): "Everything flows" (*panta rhei*)" - when was this true? > Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed. - [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 17: "Socrates (~470–399 BCE): Socratic method, executed for impiety" - when was this true? > Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed. - [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 18: "Plato (~428–348 BCE): Theory of Forms, founded the Academy" - when was this true? > Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed. - [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 19: "Aristotle (384–322 BCE): Logic, natural science, ethics, politics; founded ..." - when was this true? > Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed. - [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 20: "Epicurus (341–270 BCE): Atomism, pleasure as the highest good" - when was this true? > Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed. - [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 21: "Zeno of Citium (~334–262 BCE): Founded Stoicism [^2]" - when was this true? > Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed. - [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 24: "Shaped Western philosophy, science, and political thought" - when was this true? > Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed. - [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 25: "Transmitted to the Islamic world and medieval Europe" - when was this true? > Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed. - [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 26: "Aristotle's works dominated European thought for ~2,000 years" - when was this true? > Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed. - [x] `@q[missing]` Line 10: "Period: ~600 BCE (Thales) – ~529 CE (closure of Plato's Academy by Justinian)" - what is the source? > Kirk et al. (1983) [^1], Long (1986) [^2] - [x] `@q[missing]` Line 11: "Region: Greek world (Ionia, Athens, Alexandria, Rome)" - what is the source? > Kirk et al. (1983) [^1], Long (1986) [^2] - [x] `@q[missing]` Line 12: "Major schools: Pre-Socratics, Platonism, Aristotelianism, Stoicism, Epicurean..." - what is the source? > Kirk et al. (1983) [^1], Long (1986) [^2] - [x] `@q[missing]` Line 16: "Heraclitus (~535–475 BCE): "Everything flows" (*panta rhei*)" - what is the source? > Kirk et al. (1983) [^1], Long (1986) [^2] - [x] `@q[missing]` Line 17: "Socrates (~470–399 BCE): Socratic method, executed for impiety" - what is the source? > Kirk et al. (1983) [^1], Long (1986) [^2] - [x] `@q[missing]` Line 18: "Plato (~428–348 BCE): Theory of Forms, founded the Academy" - what is the source? > Kirk et al. (1983) [^1], Long (1986) [^2] - [x] `@q[missing]` Line 19: "Aristotle (384–322 BCE): Logic, natural science, ethics, politics; founded ..." - what is the source? > Kirk et al. (1983) [^1], Long (1986) [^2] - [x] `@q[missing]` Line 20: "Epicurus (341–270 BCE): Atomism, pleasure as the highest good" - what is the source? > Kirk et al. (1983) [^1], Long (1986) [^2] - [x] `@q[missing]` Line 24: "Shaped Western philosophy, science, and political thought" - what is the source? > Kirk et al. (1983) [^1], Long (1986) [^2] - [x] `@q[missing]` Line 25: "Transmitted to the Islamic world and medieval Europe" - what is the source? > Kirk et al. (1983) [^1], Long (1986) [^2] - [x] `@q[missing]` Line 26: "Aristotle's works dominated European thought for ~2,000 years" - what is the source? > Kirk et al. (1983) [^1], Long (1986) [^2] - [x] `@q[stale]` Line 15: "Thales of Miletus (~624–546 BCE): First philosopher, proposed water as the ..." - Kirk source from 1983 may be outdated, is this still accurate? > Scholarship remains current. Kirk et al.'s work on pre-Socratic philosophy is still foundational. - [x] `@q[stale]` Line 21: "Zeno of Citium (~334–262 BCE): Founded Stoicism [^2]" - Long source from 1986 may be outdated, is this still accurate? > Scholarship remains current. Long's work on Hellenistic philosophy is still authoritative.