-Ancient Greek pre-Socratic philosopher, first natural philosopher of Western philosophy
-Considered the first scientist, as he was one of the first individuals in Western civilization known to have made serious attempts to understand the world through naturalistic causes
-Is said to have predicted a solar eclipse in May of 585 BC.
Pythagoras of Samos (c. 570 – c. 495 BCE)
-Ancient Ionian Greek philosopher and mathematician
-Founder of the religious, philosophical movement called Pythagoreanism
-His philosophical school placed great importance on the study of mathematics, particularly the relationship between numbers and forms.
-Pythagoras is best known for the theorem that bears his name, known as the Pythagorean theorem.
Heraclitus (c. 535 – c. 484 BCE)
-Ancient Greek philosopher, considered one of the most influential Western philosophers
-Believed the world is in a constant state of flux
-Famous for the saying, "You cannot step in the same river twice, for the water is continuously changing."
Empedocles (c. 495 – c. 435 BCE)
-Ancient Greek philosopher and physician
-Known as one of the first advocates for the theory of evolution, he believed all living things come from a limited set of immutable elements: water, air, earth, and fire.
Anaxagoras (c. 499 – c. 427 BCE)
-Ancient Greek philosopher
-Argued that the universe was composed of an infinite number of "seeds," or microscopic substances, which, through an ordering force called nous (Greek: "mind" or "reason"), combined and separated into the various substances that make up the universe.
Democritus (c. 460 – c. 370 BCE)
-Ancient Greek philosopher
-Credited with being the first thinker to propose that the universe was composed of tiny particles called atoms
-Democritus argued that the behavior of atoms could explain a wide variety of phenomena, including human perception and the motion of objects.
Plato (c. 427 – c. 348 BCE)
-Ancient Greek philosopher, a student of Socrates and teacher of Aristotle
-Famous for his contributions to philosophy, including the theory of Forms and the Socratic method
-Believed that the material world is a pale imitation of a perfect, unchanging realm of Forms.
Aristotle (384 – 322 BCE)
-Ancient Greek philosopher, a student of Plato and tutor of Alexander the Great
-One of the most influential thinkers in Western history, his writings covered topics such as metaphysics, ethics, politics, and biology
-Developed a system of logic that is still widely used today.