Socrates’ greatest contribution to philosophy was the Socratic Method in which discussion, argument, and dialogue are used to discern the truth. Eventually, his beliefs and realistic approach to philosophy led to his downfall.
He believed that the soul had three functions – reason, emotion, and desire. Plato wrote one of the first and most influential works on politics, The Republic in which he described an ideal or Utopian society. Like his mentor Socrates, Plato was a strong critic of democracy.
He identified the different scientific disciplines and their relationships and interactions. Aristotle is arguably the best-known philosopher as his quotations and writings have been passed down through generations.
He started a group of mathematicians called Pythagoreans who worshipped numbers and calculations and lived like monks. He is credited with the discovery that the earth is round and the existence of the planet Venus, plus the fact that there are both morning and evening stars.
Pythagoras’ philosophies included his belief in immortality and reincarnation and that all living things should behave humanely to each other. He believed in numbers and said that they cleared the mind making it possible to truly understand reality.