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624 BCE
Thales of Miletus (624 - 546 BCE)
“Time is the wisest of all things that are; for it brings everything to light.” Thales of Miletus' ethical philosophy as most of his surviving writings and philosophical perspectives were related to natural science and the nature of the universe. He is generally recognized as the Father of Science who broke away from mythology and attempted to explain natural objects and phenomena through naturalistic theories and hypotheses. -
610 BCE
Anaximander (610 - 546 BCE)
“Immortal and indestructible, surrounds all and directs all.” His ethical philosophy is a matter of speculation and conjecture.Most of his surviving writings and philosophical perspectives are related to natural science and the nature of the universe. In his thinking about Earth, he regarded the inhabited portion as flat, consisting of the top face of a cylinder, whose thickness is one-third its diameter. -
470 BCE
Thomas Aquinas (470 - 399 BCE)
“Faith has to do with things that are not seen and hope with things that are not at hand.” Thomas Aquinas' ethical philosophy is based on the idea that humans should strive to achieve the highest good, which he believed to be union with God. He argued that the natural law, which is the moral law that governs the universe, is knowable through reason and should guide human behavior. Aquinas believed that virtue was essential to achieving happiness and fulfilling God's plan for humanity. -
469 BCE
Socrates (469 - 399 BCE)
Socrates is well-known as a prominent teacher of ethics, who emphasized self-examination and the pursuit of self-knowledge. He famously coined the phrase "the unexamined life is not worth living," suggesting that introspection is essential for a good life. He emphasized the importance of acting according to moral duty instead of seeking personal gain or pleasure. His famous Socratic method of questioning was designed to challenge people's beliefs and explore the underpinnings of their arguments. -
427 BCE
Plato (427 - 347 BCE)
“When the mind is thinking it is talking to itself.” He believes that living a good life involves acquiring virtues such as courage, wisdom, justice, and self-control. For Plato, virtue is not just a matter of following a set of rules or principles, but rather it is a state of the soul that arises from the development of one's moral character. He argues that actions that derive from virtue are preferred because they promote human flourishing or eudaimonia. -
384 BCE
Aristotle (384 - 322 BCE)
“Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.” He believed that ethics was the study of how to live a good life, not just an intellectual exercise. Aristotle distinguished between practical and theoretical virtues, with practical virtues being those that can be developed through practice and habituation. -
354 BCE
Augustine (354 - 430 BCE)
“Grant what thou commandest and then command what thou wilt.” He regards ethics as an inquiry into the supreme good, which provides happiness to all human beings. He has a strong Christian influence,and his ideas have greatly influenced medieval and modern thought. His school of thought emphasizes the importance of living a virtuous life centered around the love of God and the pursuit of divine wisdom. -
341 BCE
Epicurus (341- 270 BCE)
“Nothing is enough for the man to whom enough is too little.”He believed that pleasure was the ultimate objective of human existence, but his concept of pleasure went beyond physical sensations to include the avoidance of pain as well. He emphasized the importance placed upon friendship, the avoidance of public life, and living a simple life free of material possessions, in order to achieve inner peace and happiness. -
Thomas Hobbes (1588 - 1679)
“The condition of man . . . is a condition of war of everyone against everyone.” He argued that individuals are naturally self-interested and that this drives the state of nature, which is a state of war and conflict. To avoid chaos, Hobbes believed that people must surrender some individual freedoms to a governing authority through a social contract. This governing authority must then have unlimited power to enforce the laws of nature and secure the well-being of society. -
John Locke (1632 -1704)
“Where there is no judge on earth, the appeal lies to God in heaven.” Locke believed that individuals have natural rights that come from natural law, which is discoverable through reason. He maintained that moral and political authority comes from the consent of the governed and that government exists to protect individual rights and promote the common good. Locke emphasized the importance of toleration, freedom of speech, and the rule of law as essential components of a just society.