List of philosophers born in the centuries BC

Philosophers born in the centuries BC (and others important in the history of philosophy), listed alphabetically:

Note: This list has a minimal criterion for inclusion and the relevance to philosophy of some individuals on the list is disputed.

Contents

• A
• B
• C
• D
• E
• F
• G
• H
• I
• J
• K
• L
• M
• N
• O
• P
• Q
• R
• S
• T
• U
• V
• W
• X
• Y
• Z

• See also

A

• Aenesidemus, (1st century BC)^[d]
• Agastya,(c.1000 BCE)
• Alcibiades, (c. 450-404 BC)
• Alcmaeon of Croton, (5th century BC)^[b][c][d][e]
• Anacharsis, (6th century BC)
• Anaxagoras, (died 462 BC)^{[a][b][c][d][e]}*
• Anaxarchus, (fl. 340 BC)^[d]
• Anaxilaus, (1st century BC)
• Anaximander, (c. 610-c. 546 BC)^[a][b][c][d]
• Anaximenes of Miletus, (585-525 BC)^[a][b][c][d]
• Andronicus of Rhodes, (c. 70 BC)^[a]
• Angiras, (c. 11th century BC)
• Anniceris, (fl. 300 BC)^[a]
• Akspada Gautama,(8th century bc)
• Antiochus of Ascalon, (c. 130-68 BC)^{[a][b][c][d][e]}
• Antiphon, (480-403 BC)^[d]
• Antisthenes, (c. 444-365 BC)^[b][c][d]
• Arcesilaus, (316-241 BC)^{[a][b][c][d][e]}
• Archimedes, (d. 212 BC)
• Archytas, (428-347 BC)^[a][d][e]
• Aristippus the Elder of Cyrene, (c. 435-366 BC)^[b][c][d]
• Aristo of Chios, (fl. 250 BC)^[d]
• Aristotle, (384 BC-322 BC)^{[a][b][c][d][e]}
• Aristoxenus, (4th century BC)
• Asclepiades of Bithynia, (129-40 BC)
• Ajita Kesakambali (6th century BCE)
• Ashvapati, (c. 1000 BC)
• Ashtavakra, (c. 1000 BC)
• Titus Pomponius Atticus, (110-32 BC)

B

• Bādarāyaņa, (c. 3rd century BC)
• Blossius, (2nd century BC)
• Gautama Buddha, (6th century BC)

C

• Callicles, (late 5th century BC)^[d][e]
• Carneades, (c. 214-129 BC)^[b][c][d][e]
• Cārvāka, (c. 200-150 BC)
• Cebes of Thebes, (5th century BC)
• Chaerephon, (c. 460-c. 400 BC)
• Chanakya (or Kautilya) (321-296 BC)^[d]
• Chao Cuo (c. 200-154 BC)
• Chia Yi (or Jia Yi or Chia I), (201-169 BC)^[a][d]
• Chrysippus, (279-207 BC)^[b][c][d]
• Cicero, (106 BC-43 BC)^[a][b][c][d]
• Cleanthes, (301-232 BC)^[d]
• Cleobulus, (fl. 560 BC)
• Clitomachus, (187-109 BC)
• Confucius, (551 BC-479 BC)^{[a][b][c][d][e]}
• Crantor, (4th century BC)
• Crates of Thebes, (4th century BC)
• Cratylus of Athens, (c. 400 BC)^[b][c][d]

D

• Democritus, (born 460 BC)^{[a][b][c][d][e]}
• Dirghatamas (14th century BCE)
• Deng Xi (501 BC)
• Diagoras, (5th century BC)
• Dandamis (4th Century BCE)
• Diodorus Cronus, (3rd century BC)^[c][d][e]
• Diogenes Apolloniates, (c. 460 BC)^[d]
• Diogenes the Cynic of Sinope, (412-323 BC)^[b][c][d]
• Dong Zhongshu (or Tung Chung-shu), (c. 176-c. 104 BC)^[a][d]

E

• Ellopion of Peparethus, (4th century BC)
• Empedocles, (490 BC-430 BC)^{[a][b][c][d][e]}
• Epicharmus, (c. 540-450 BC)^[d]
• Epicurus, (341 BC-270 BC)^[b][c][d][e]
• Epimenides, (6th century BC)
• Eubulides of Miletus, (4th century BC)
• Euclid of Alexandria, (c. 323-283 BC)
• Euclid of Megara, (c. 400 BC)
• Eudoxus of Cnidus, (410 or 408 BC-355 or 347 BC)^[a][d]

F

G

• Gaozi, (c. 420 BC)^[a]
• Gautama, Aksapada, (c. 2nd century BC)^[d]
• Gautama, Siddhartha (or Buddha), (ca. 563-483 BC)^[a][c][d]
• Gargi Vachaknavi (8th century BCE)
• Geminus, (c. 110-c. 40 BC)
• Gongsun Longzi, (c. 300 BC)^[a]
• Ghosha (8th century BCE)
• Gorgias, (c. 483-375 BC)^[a][b][c][d]
• Guan Zhong (or Kuan Tzu or Kwan Chung or Guanzi) (740-645 BC)^[a][d]
• Guiguzi

H

• Han Fei, (d. 233 BC)
• Hecato of Rhodes, (135-50 BC)
• Hegesias of Cyrene, (c. 300 BC)
• Heraclides Ponticus, (387-312 BC)^[d]
• Heraclitus of Ephesus, (ca. 535-475 BC)^[a][b][c][d]
• Hicetas, (400-335 BC)
• Hipparchia of Maroneia, (4th century BC)
• Hippasus, (c. 500 BC)
• Hippias, (5th century BC)^[d]
• Hippocrates, (460-380 BC)^[a][b][c]
• Hsu Hsing, (c. 300 BC)^[a]
• Huai Nun Tzu (or Huainanzi or Liu An), (179-122 BC)^[a][d]
• Hui Shi, (4th century BC)^[a]

I

• Isocrates, (436-338 BC)^[a]

J

• Jaimini, (c. 3rd century BC)

K

• Kapila, (c. 6th century BC)
• Kanada, (c. 2nd century BC)

L

• Lopamudra (1950 BCE-1100 BCE)
• Lao Zi (or Lao Tzu), (4th century BC)^[a][b][c][e]
• Leucippus, (5th century BC)^{[a][b][c][d][e]}
• Li Kui (455 BC-395 BC)
• Li Si, (c. 280-208 BC)
• Liezi (or Lieh Tzu), (c. 440 BC-c. 360 BC)^[a][c]
• Lu Ban (507-440 BC)
• Lucretius, (c. 99-55 BC)^{[a][b][c][d][e]}

M

• Mahavira, (599-527 BC)^[a][d]
• Makkhali Gosala, (6th century BC)
• Melissus of Samos, (late 5th century BC)^[a][b][c][d]
• Mencius (or Meng K'o or Meng-tzu or Mengzi), (372-289 BC)^{[a][b][c][d][e]}
• Markandeya, (c.1000BCE)
• Menedemus, (c. 350-278 BC)
• Maitreyi (8th century BCE)
• Metrocles, (c. 300 BC)
• Metrodorus of Lampsacus (the elder), (5th century BC)
• Metrodorus of Chios, (4th century BC)
• Metrodorus of Lampsacus (the younger), (331-278 BC)
• Metrodorus of Stratonicea, (late 2nd century BC)
• Mozi (or Mo Tzu, or Mo Ti, or Micius), (c. 470-c. 390 BC)^[a][c][d]

N

• Nagasena (born 150 BC)

O

• Ostanes, Iranian alchemist mage

P

• Parshvanatha,(8th century BC)
• Panaetius, (c. 185-c. 110 BC)^[d]
• Pāṇini, (c. 600-500 BC)
• Parashara (c.1200 BCE)
• Parmenides, (5th century BC)^[a][b][c][d]
• Pañcaśikha (6th century BCE)
• Parshva, (c. 877-777 BC)
• Patañjali, (2nd century BC)^[d]
• Payasi (6th century BCE)
• Pippalada,(6th Century BC)
• Pherecydes of Syros, (6th century BC)
• Philo Judaeus of Alexandria, (20 BC-AD 40)^[a][b][c][d]
• Philo of Larissa, (1st century BC)^[d][e]*
• Philo the Dialectician, (c. 300 BC)^[b][c][d]
• Philodemus of Gadara, (1st century BC)^[d][e]*
• Philolaus of Croton, (c. 480-c. 405 BC)^[a][d][e]
• Pingala, (c. 4th century BC)
• Plato, (c. 427 BC-c. 347 BC)^{[a][b][c][d][e]}
• Polyaenus of Lampsacus, (died 278 BC)
• Posidonius, (c. 135-51 BC)^[d]
• Prodicus, (c. 450-399 BC)^[d]
• Protagoras, (c. 481-420 BC)^[b][c][d]
• Purana Kassapa (6th century BCE)
• Pakudha Kaccayana (6th century BCE)
• Pyrrho, (c. 360-c. 270 BC)^{[a][b][c][d][e]}
• Pythagoras, (c. 570 BC- c. 495 BC)^{[a][b][c][d][e]}

Q

R

S

• Sanjaya Belatthiputta (7th-6th century BCE)
• Śāriputra (6th century BCE)
• Seneca the Younger, (c. 4 BC-AD 65)^[b][c][d]
• Shang Yang (or Gongsun Yang), (d. 338 BC)^[a]
• Shvetaketu,(9th century BCE)
• Shen Buhai, (d. 337 BC)^[a]
• Shen Dao (or Shen Tzu), (c. 350-275 BC)^[a]
• Shvetashvatara, (c. 4th century BC)
• Socrates, (470 BC-399 BC)^{[a][b][c][d][e]}
• Solomon, (970-931 BC)
• Shukracharya (8th century BCE)
• Speusippus, (410-339 BC)^[b][c][d][e]
• Stilpo, (380-330 BC)
• Strato of Lampsacus, (c. 340-c. 268 BC)^[a][d]
• Sun Tzu, (4th century BC)
• Sung Hsing (or Sung Tzu), (360-290 BC)^[a]
• Su Qin (380-284 BC)

T

• Thales, (c. 635 BC-543 BC)^[a][b][c][d]
• Theano, (c. 6th century BC)
• Theodorus of Cyrene, (c. 340-c. 250 BC)
• Theophrastus, (372-287 BC)^[b][c][d]
• Thrasymachus, (5th century BC)^[a][c][d][e]
• Thucydides, (c. 460-c. 400 BC)^[d]
• Timaeus of Locri, (5th century BC)
• Timon of Phlius, (c. 300 BC)^[d][e]
• Tiruvalluvar, (c. 1st century BC–2nd century CE)

U

• Uddalaka Aruni (c. 1000 BC)

V

• Vasishtha (12th century BCE)
• Vyasa

W

X

• Xenocrates, (396-314 BC)^[b][c][d][e]
• Xenophanes of Colophon, (570-480 BC)^{[a][b][c][d][e]}
• Xenophon, (427-355 BC)^[a][d]
• Xun Zi (or Hsun Tzu), (c. 310-237 BC)^{[a][b][c][d][e]}*
• Xu Xing

Y

• Yajnavalkya, (fl. c. 7th century BC)
• Yang Chu, (370-319 BC)^[a][d]
• Yang Xiong (or Yang Hsiung) (53 BC-AD 18)^[a][d]

Z

• Zengzi (505 BC-436 BC)
• Zeno of Citium (333 BC-264 BC)^[b][c][d]
• Zeno of Elea (c. 495 BC-c. 430 BC)^[b][c][d]
• Zeno of Sidon (1st century BC)
• Zeno of Tarsus (3rd century BC)
• Zhang Yi (c. 329-309 BC)
• Zhuang Zi (or Chuang Tzu or Chuang Chou), (c. 300 BC)^[a][b][c][e]
• Zichan (522 BC)
• Zisi (c. 481-402 BC)
• Zoroaster
• Zou Yan (3rd century BC)^[a]

See also

• Lists of philosophers
• List of philosophers born in the 1st through 10th centuries
• List of philosophers born in the 11th through 14th centuries
• List of philosophers born in the 15th and 16th centuries
• List of philosophers born in the 17th century
• List of philosophers born in the 18th century
• List of philosophers born in the 19th century
• List of philosophers born in the 20th century

Notes

1. The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy, (Second Edition). Cambridge University Press; 1999. ISBN 0-521-63722-8
2. The Oxford Companion to Philosophy, Oxford University Press; 1995. ISBN 0-19-866132-0
3. The Oxford Companion to Philosophy, Oxford University Press; 2005. ISBN 0-19-926479-1
4. Concise Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Routledge; 2000. ISBN 0-415-22364-4
5. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy