factbase-ancient-history/cultural-movements/greek-philosophy.md

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# 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

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[^1]: Kirk, G.S. et al. *The Presocratic Philosophers* (Cambridge, 1983)
[^2]: Long, A.A. *Hellenistic Philosophy* (University of California Press, 1986)
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## Review Queue

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- [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.