What is the oldest philosophy?

The oldest philosophy isn't a single system, but roots extend to ancient India (Upanishads, Vedic texts), Egypt (Maxims of Ptahhotep c. 2375 BCE), Mesopotamia (Epic of Gilgamesh c. 2100 BCE), and China, with early Indian philosophy being one of the longest continuous traditions, focusing on concepts like dharma, karma, and the nature of reality. Western philosophy traditionally begins with the Greek Presocratics (c. 6th century BCE) like Thales, but philosophical thought emerged globally much earlier through wisdom literature and foundational texts.

Which philosophy is the oldest?

Samkhya (Kapila): Samkhya is the oldest of the orthodox philosophical systems, and it postulates that everything in reality stems from purusha (self, soul or mind) and prakriti (matter, creative agency, energy). Purush cannot be modified or changed while prakriti brings change in all objects.

What was the first philosophy in the world?

Aristotle talks about “the first philosophy” throughout Metaphysics — and it is metaphysics that Aristotle considers to be the first philosophy — but he never makes it entirely clear what first philosophy consists of.

Is Plato or Aristotle older?

Plato (c. 428–c. 348 BCE) and Aristotle (384–322 BCE) are generally regarded as the two greatest figures of Western philosophy.

Who are the big 3 in philosophy?

While many philosophers are great, the "big three" foundational figures in Western thought are the ancient Greeks: Socrates, known for his questioning method; his student Plato, who developed theories on ideal Forms and justice; and Plato's student Aristotle, a polymath who systematized logic, ethics, politics, and science, creating a framework for much of later Western philosophy.
 

history of philosophy, i guess (history of all ideas)

Who was the wisest philosopher?

According to Plato's Apology, the Oracle at Delphi called Socrates the wisest man, leading him to embark on a quest to understand the true nature of wisdom. One of the most famous claims attributed to the Greek philosopher Socrates was that he was wise because he knew that he knew nothing.

Who was before Socrates?

Pre-Socratic philosophy began in the 6th century BC with the three Milesians: Thales, Anaximander, and Anaximenes. They all attributed the arche (a word that could take the meaning of "origin", "substance" or "principle") of the world to, respectively, water, apeiron (the unlimited), and air.

Why did Aristotle not like Plato?

Although Plato had been his teacher, Aristotle disagreed with much of Plato's philosophy. Plato was an idealist, who believed that everything had an ideal form. Aristotle believed in looking at the real world and studying it. Aristotle spent many years teaching in Athens, which was under the control of Macedon.

Who is considered the best philosopher?

Top 10 Greatest Philosophers

1. Aristotle. Aristotle, one of the most famous Greek philosophers, was also a polymath who lived in Ancient Greece in 384-322 BC. ...
2. Lao-Tzu. Lao Tzu developed a theory strongly connected to Taoism. ...
3. John Locke. ...
4. Karl Marx. ...
5. Confucius. ...
6. Ralph Waldo Emerson. ...
7. Immanuel Kant. ...
8. Epicurus.

What was Socrates's IQ?

There's no definitive IQ score for Socrates because IQ tests didn't exist in ancient Greece, but estimates place him in the genius range, often cited between 140 and 160+, reflecting his profound philosophical impact, though some believe he'd struggle with modern tests due to his unique thinking style. 

Do philosophy believe in God?

No, there's no single philosophical consensus; some philosophers believe in God, many don't, and others find the question unanswerable, with historical shifts showing periods of theism (Middle Ages) and rising skepticism (Enlightenment to present), though many contemporary philosophers are atheists, while philosophers of religion often lean towards belief. Thinkers like Plato, Descartes, and Aquinas argued for God, while others like David Hume and modern philosophers often question or deny divine existence, reflecting diverse views from faith-based reasoning to logical skepticism. 

What is the oldest book of philosophy?

The Teaching of Ptahhatp ought to begin the list of the world's classics of philosophy, yet it has been largely forgotten since its rediscovery in the nineteenth century.

What are the 7 branches of philosophy?

The seven common branches of philosophy are Metaphysics (reality), Epistemology (knowledge), Axiology (value), Ethics (morality), Logic (reasoning), Aesthetics (beauty/art), and Political Philosophy (government/justice), which explore fundamental questions about existence, knowing, values, right conduct, logical arguments, art, and society, respectively, providing a structured way to study these broad concepts.
 

Who are the five greatest philosophers?

There's no single "top 5," as it's subjective, but consistently ranked influential philosophers include Plato, Aristotle, Immanuel Kant, René Descartes, and Confucius, often cited for laying foundations in Western and Eastern thought, logic, ethics, metaphysics, and epistemology, with others like Nietzsche, Socrates, Hume, and Locke frequently appearing on top lists. 

Who was the filthy Greek philosopher?

Diogenes went about naked, slept on the streets, and begged for scraps of food. So the children used to make fun of him and they pointed at him shouting "You're just a dirty dog!" If a crowd of people made fun of me and called me a dirty dog, I might cry, but Diogenes didn't let things like that upset him.

Who are the big 4 philosophers?

The Four Philosophers: Hobbes, Locke, Montesquieu, and Rouss.

Who is the wisest philosopher of all time?

The greek philosopher Socrates was called the wisest man of all. He was not so sure though. It irked him so much that he went to the Oracle of Delphi to find out.

Did Kant believe in God?

Yes, Immanuel Kant was a theist who believed in God, but not in a way that could be proven by pure reason; instead, he saw God as a necessary postulate of practical reason, essential for morality and achieving the "Highest Good," where virtue (duty) and happiness ultimately align, making God and an immortal soul required assumptions for a rational moral life. He distinguished between what we can know (the phenomenal world) and what we must believe (the noumenal realm, including God) for moral purposes. 

Who was Einstein's favorite philosopher?

Albert Einstein's favorite philosopher was Baruch Spinoza, whose deterministic, pantheistic view of an orderly, law-bound universe aligned perfectly with Einstein's own beliefs, leading him to famously state, "I believe in Spinoza's God, who reveals himself in the harmony of all that exists". He also admired other thinkers like David Hume and Arthur Schopenhauer, but Spinoza's concept of a unified, knowable cosmos profoundly shaped Einstein's worldview and sense of "cosmic religious feeling".
 

What did Plato call Aristotle?

“Plato used to call Aristotle Pôlos [the Foal]. What did he wish with that name? Everyone knows that a foal, when it has had its fill of baby's milk, kicks its mother. Thus Plato was signaling a certain ingratitude on Aristotle' part.

Which Greek philosopher did not like democracy?

Socrates rejected the democracies of his time, because he viewed them as a sort of mob rule - a system that follows citizens' misguided impulses rather than pursuing the common good in a rational manner. Socrates argues that society won't work until philosophers become leaders or our leaders become philosophers.

Who was Plato's mentor?

Socrates mentored Plato. Plato spread Socrates's teachings and philosophy as far and wide as he could. Plato mentored Aristotle in philosophy and, in the Macedonian village of Mieza, Aristotle mentored Alexander the Great.

Who came first, Socrates or Confucius?

Socrates was born roughly ten years after Confucius died.

Who are the 10 philosophers?

Here are 10 influential philosophers, covering key figures from ancient Greece to modern times, including Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Confucius, Descartes, Locke, Hume, Kant, Marx, and Nietzsche, who profoundly shaped Western and Eastern thought on ethics, politics, knowledge, and existence.
 

Was Socrates older than Jesus?

Socrates lived eight hundred miles apart from, four centuries earlier than and twice as long as Jesus. At his death in a prison cell in Athens in 399 BC, Socrates was seventy years old. At his death on a cross on a hill on the outskirts of Jerusalem in 30 AD, Jesus was thirty-three years old.