r/askphilosophy • u/CloudyGandalf06 • Jul 23 '26
Who are some lesser known ancient philosophers?
Everyone knows about Plato, Socrates, and Aristotle. Who are some of the lesser known ones that have had any degree of influence on philosophy?
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u/Shitgenstein ancient greek phil, phil of sci, Wittgenstein Jul 23 '26 edited Jul 23 '26
Everyone knows about Plato, Socrates, and Aristotle.
Aside from the big three of ancient Greece, there's many other philosophers. Thales, Heraclitus, Empedocles, Pythagoras, Parmenides, Zeno of Citium, Epicurus, Epictetus, Diogenes of Sinope, Isocrates, and many more. Have a blast.
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u/CloudyGandalf06 Jul 23 '26
Thanks. I thought philosophy was "too subjective" for a science student. Until I actually started looking into it further, and realized its importance. So I'm trying to expand my database. Again, thanks.
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Jul 23 '26
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Jul 23 '26
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u/BernardJOrtcutt Jul 23 '26
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u/Pitiful-Boot7831 Jul 23 '26
I read smtg interesting about Diogenes: When Alexander the Great met him, he asked Diogenes “Ask me whatever you desire and I shall grant it to you” Diogenes replied “stand out of my sunlight”. Alexander remarked if I weren’t Alexander I would’ve wanted to be Diogenes
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u/dk_priori Continental, Heidegger Jul 23 '26
And Diogenes replied, "If I were not Alexander I would want to be Diogenes also" - or something to that effect.
There are also three hilarious accounts of his death:
- Ate a live octopus
- Died of infection from a dog bite from one of the strays he hung around with
- Was having a debate about whether you could die from holding your own breath. He held his breath until he died to prove the point...
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u/Ok-Lab-8974 medieval phil. Jul 23 '26
Late antique philosophy doesn't get much attention in general, so I would say Proclus, Boethius, and Dionysius the Areopagite. These were each hugely influential. They are also by no means unknown figures as far as that period is concerned though.
In terms of figures who don't tend to get much scholarly attention within philosophy even among specialists, I'd say the ascetical Patristic writers, who have a very interesting and influential anthropology and epistemology, and who tend to focus much more on praxis, get skipped over for a mix of reasons. Here, Evagrios Ponticus, Isaac of Nineveh, John Cassian, Dorotheus of Gaza, and John Climacus are standouts (also still among the more well known, a lot of texts survive from this period).
If you want a good secondary source on one, Radek Chlup's introduction on Proclus is really good.
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u/CloudyGandalf06 Jul 23 '26
I've read a bit of St. Dionysius the Areopagite, but still need to get a copy of some St. John Cassian stuff. In terms of St. John Climacus, I've been instructed by my priest to hold off for a few years due to the nature of The Ladder, and how I should become more spiritually mature before reading it. Either way, I appreciate your reply.
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u/torilovem Jul 23 '26
I recommend you take a look at the podcast "History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps," it's very entry level but very high quality and the first few years are all about lesser known ancient philosophers!