5th century BC in philosophy
This is a timeline of the 5th century BC in philosophy.
Developments
- Parmenides of Elea argued that "what-is" must be ungenerated, imperishable, complete, and motionless, maintaining that nothing can come from nothing and nothing can pass away. His student, Zeno of Elea, supported this view by forming paradoxes that worked to show that belief in motion.[1][2]
- Anaxagoras proposed that the universe is governed by Nous ("Mind"), a rational and organizing principle that arranges all things. Unlike earlier philosophers who searched for a single substance underlying reality, Anaxagoras suggested that a cosmic intellect accounts for the order and change observed in nature.[3]
- Sophists were teachers in ancient Greece who focused on human society rather than nature. They argued that customs (nomos) often differ from nature (physis) and that skillful speech could make a weaker argument appear stronger. Their ideas emphasized that many beliefs are based on social conventions rather than absolute truth.[4]
- Anaxagoras was jailed and charged with impiety and sentenced to death because of his philosophical ideas.[5][6]
- Protagoras was charged with impiety for questioning the existence god. His books were reportedly burned while he fled Athens.[7]
Births
- c. 490 BC – Zeno of Elea
- c. 490 BC – Protagoras
- c. 483 BC – Gorgias
- c. 470 BC – Socrates
- c. 460 BC – Democritus
- c. 490 BC – Ion of Chios
- c. 460 BC – Hippias of Elis
- c. 446 BC – Antisthenes
- c. 435 BC – Aristippus the Elder
- c. 465 BC – Chaerephon
- c. 484 BC – Callicles
- c. 500 BC – Anaxagoras
- 5th century BC – Leucippus
- 5th century BC – Diogenes of Apollonia
- 5th century BC – Alexamenus of Teos
- 5th century BC – Simon the Shoemaker
- 5th century BC – Onatas
- 5th century BC – Cratylus
- c. 480 BC – Antiphon
- c. 470 BC – Philolaus
- c. 500 BC – Melissus of Samos
- c. 460 BC – Euenus
- c. 470 BC – Mozi
- c. 413 BC - Diogenes the Cynic
Deaths
- c. 475 BC - Damo
- 28 August 430 BC - Augustine of Hippo
- 403 BC - Critias
- c. 495 BC – Pythagoras
- c. 479 BC – Confucius
- 5th century BC – Heraclitus
- c. 430 BC – Zeno of Elea
- c. 434 BC – Empedocles
- c. 420 BC – Protagoras
- c. 428 BC – Anaxagoras
- c. 411 BC – Antiphon the Sophist
- c. 420 BC – Protagoras
- c. 428 BC – Anaxagoras
- 5th century BC – Diogenes of Apollonia
- c. 5th century BC – Heraclitus
- c. 456 BC – Aeschylus
- c. 496 BC – Sun Tzu
See also
References
- ^ "Zeno's Paradoxes". Encyclopaedia Britannica. Archived from the original on February 17, 2026. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
- ^ "Parmenides (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)". Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Archived from the original on February 17, 2026. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
- ^ "Anaxagoras". Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
- ^ "Sophists". Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
- ^ "Anaxagoras". Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
- ^ "Anaxagoras". World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
- ^ "Protagoras". Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved February 16, 2026.