During the pre-Socratic period, about 400 years BC.
The pre-Socratic philosophers were early Greek thinkers before Socrates who laid the foundation for Western philosophy. Some notable pre-Socratic philosophers include Thales, Anaximander, Heraclitus, Parmenides, and Empedocles, who explored metaphysical, cosmological, and ethical questions through their writings and teachings.
The Socratic period refers to the time in ancient Greece when the philosopher Socrates lived (circa 470-399 BCE). Socrates is known for his method of questioning and dialogues, which aimed to stimulate critical thinking and self-reflection among his students and fellow citizens. His teachings laid the foundation for Western philosophy and ethics.
Thales of Miletus is considered the first pre-Socratic philosopher to use observation and reasoning in the study of the natural world. He is often regarded as the first philosopher in Western tradition for his innovative approach to understanding the universe through rational inquiry rather than myth or tradition.
Pre-Socratic philosophers were primarily concerned with understanding the fundamental nature of the universe and the underlying principles governing it. They sought to explain the world in terms of natural phenomena, such as the elements or abstract concepts like numbers and change. Their inquiries laid the foundation for Western philosophy and science.
During the pre-Socratic period, about 400 years BC.
The Socratic period refers to the time in ancient Greece when the philosopher Socrates lived (circa 470-399 BCE). Socrates is known for his method of questioning and dialogues, which aimed to stimulate critical thinking and self-reflection among his students and fellow citizens. His teachings laid the foundation for Western philosophy and ethics.
a Pre-Socratic Greek philosopher.
Xeno
Pythagoras
A peasant farmer.
The destruction of large portions of the Library at Alexandria at various times during the Hellenistic period.
Sophist
Questions about the physical world
Thales, Heraclitus and Democritus were the Pre-Socratic triumvirate in Greek philosophy. And there were also Anaximander, Anaximenes, Anaxagoras, Empedocles and Leucippus. They all, from Thales to Leucippus, really were scientists.
Protagoras
The principal schools of Presocratic philosophy include the Milesian School (Thales, Anaximander, Anaximenes), the Pythagorean School (Pythagoras), the Eleatic School (Parmenides, Zeno), and the Pluralist School (Empedocles, Anaxagoras). These schools laid the foundation for Western philosophy by exploring the natural world, metaphysics, and the nature of reality.