Write about any four philosopher who motivated people for revolution and for modernization in world
Answers
1.Epicurus (c. 341-270 BCE)
“Nothing is enough for the man to whom enough is too little.”
Epicurus was an ancient Greek philosopher as well as the founder of the school of philosophy called Epicureanism. For Epicurus, the purpose of philosophy was to attain the happy, tranquil life, characterized by ataraxia-peace and freedom from fear-and aponia-the absence of pain. Epicurus believed in atoms and taught that the humans had no control over fate. He also refused to believe in the gods and taught that the universe was infinite and had no purpose. He often said that fear of death was one of the main causes of human anxiety and it often led people to despair. Epicurus preached that death was an inescapable reality and that it was an end to the body with the soul as well. Even though Epicurus is believed to have written 300 works, almost none of his writings are known to have survived.
2. Anaxagoras (c. 500-428 BCE)
“The seed of everything is in everything else.”
Anaxagoras was a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher who lived in Athens. His philosophical views much revolved around the nature itself. He believed that in the physical world, everything contains a portion of everything else. Nothing was pure on its own and ‘nous’ (which means ‘mind’) asserts a certain motion and meaning to the entities in this chaos. As it was the case with most of the philosophers in ancient Greece, his ideas contrasted and collided with the contemporary ideologies and beliefs that led him to face life-threatening consequences and exile.
3. Pythagoras (c. 570-495 BCE)
“There is geometry in the humming of the strings, there is music in the spacing of the spheres.”
Another pre-Socratic Greek philosopher, Pythagoras is a famous mathematician who is credited with inventing the Pythagorean Theorem, one of the key computations in geometry. Although better known for his legendary contribution to mathematics, his philosophical works and ideas have had a great influence on modern philosophy and on Plato as well. He regarded the world as perfect harmony and aimed his teaching on how to lead a harmonious life. Some legends also indicate that he was the first to teach that the Earth was round.
4. Heraclitus (c. 535-475 BCE)
“There is nothing permanent except change.”
Heraclitus is yet another pre-Socratic philosopher, mostly known for his contribution to the thought that things are always changing. He thought that change is the fundamental essence of the universe, as stated in the famous saying, “No man ever steps in the same river twice”. He also said that opposites attract and that fire was the base for all things in the world. He was also called “The Obscure” and the “Weeping Philosopher”, because of the lonely life he led and the nature of his philosophy.