Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
philosophy
Table of Contents
Introduction References & Edit History Related Topics
Images & Videos
Raphael: School of Athens Friedrich Schelling.
Examine what is known about the ancient Athenian philosopher Socrates from Plato's dialogues and other sources
Quizzes
Agathon (centre) greeting guests in "Plato's Symposium" oil on canvas by Anselm Feuerbach, 1869; in the Staatliche Kunsthalle, Karlsruhe, Germany.
Philosophy 101
Read Next
Immanuel Kant (1724-1804), German philosopher. Print published in London, 1812. Profile portrait surrounded by Ouroboros ancient Egyptian-Greek symbolic serpent with tail in mouth devouring itself representing unity of material and spiritual in eternal...
Philosophers to Know, Part II
Aristotle (384-322 BC), Ancient Greek philosopher and scientist. One of the most influential philosophers in the history of Western thought, Aristotle established the foundations for the modern scientific method of enquiry. Statue
Philosophers to Know, Part I
Plato (left) and Aristotle, detail from School of Athens, fresco by Raphael, 1508-11; in the Stanza della Segnatura, the Vatican. Plato points to the heavens and the realm of Forms, Aristotle to the earth and the realm of things.
Plato and Aristotle: How Do They Differ?
Well-balanced of stones on the top of boulder
What’s the Difference Between Morality and Ethics?
Spiral Galaxy type Sa-Sb or Sa/Sb in the constellation Virgo. The majestic Sombrero Galaxy Messier 104 (M104) or NGC 4594. The team took six pictures of the galaxy, stitched them together to create the final composite image. Photo from May-June 2003
9 Britannica Articles That Explain the Meaning of Life
Discover
Illustration for Demystified "How Dangerous is Quicksand"
How Deadly Is Quicksand?
Aurochs. Bos primigenius. Skeleton. Extinct animal. Skeleton of an Aurochs, an extinct wild ox.
6 Animals We Ate Into Extinction
Big beaver gnawing on limb at river's edge
6 Animal Species that Mate for Life
NBA Lakers Celtics Finals Kevin Garnett shooting.
10 Great Sports Rivalries
Germans from East and West stand on the Berlin Wall in front of the Brandenburg Gate in the November 10, 1989, photo, one day after the wall opened.
Timeline of the 1980s
Aspirin pills.
7 Drugs that Changed the World
Flags of the United Kingdom of Great Britain - England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Union Flag.
Acts of Union: Uniting the United Kingdom

philosophy: Related Content

verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://www.britannica.com/facts/philosophy
Written and fact-checked by
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of  Encyclopædia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them.
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Photos and Videos

Raphael: School of Athens
Friedrich Schelling.
Examine what is known about the ancient Athenian philosopher Socrates from Plato's dialogues and other sources
See All Videos and Images →

Related Topics and References

Topics
Dig Deeper: More Articles That Discuss This Topic

Key People

Aristotle
Aristotle
Greek philosopher
Socrates
Socrates
Greek philosopher
Plato
Plato
Greek philosopher
Confucius
Confucius
Chinese philosopher
Francis Bacon
Francis Bacon
British author, philosopher, and statesman
John Locke
John Locke
English philosopher
Justus of Ghent: Saint Augustine
St. Augustine
Christian bishop and theologian
Immanuel Kant
Immanuel Kant
German philosopher
Karl Marx
Karl Marx
German philosopher
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Swiss-born French philosopher
Noam Chomsky
Noam Chomsky
American linguist
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel
German philosopher
René Descartes
René Descartes
French mathematician and philosopher
Voltaire
Voltaire
French philosopher and author
Benedict de Spinoza
Benedict de Spinoza
Dutch-Jewish philosopher
Adam Smith
Adam Smith
Scottish philosopher
David Hume
David Hume
Scottish philosopher
English philosopher Thomas Hobbes
Thomas Hobbes
English philosopher
John Stuart Mill
John Stuart Mill
British philosopher and economist
St. Thomas Aquinas
St. Thomas Aquinas
Italian Christian theologian and philosopher

Related Quizzes and Features

Quiz
Agathon (centre) greeting guests in "Plato's Symposium" oil on canvas by Anselm Feuerbach, 1869; in the Staatliche Kunsthalle, Karlsruhe, Germany.
Philosophy 101
David Hume in the background St. Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh, Scotland. Scottish philosopher, historian, economist, and essayist, known especially for his philosophical empiricism and skepticism.
What’s In a Name? Philosopher Edition
Hypatia. Hypatia (b. c355-415) Egyptian Neoplatonist philosopher who was the first notable woman in mathematics. She was murdered by followers of Cyril, Patriarch of Alexandria.
Odd Facts About Philosophers
List
Aristotle (384-322 BC), Ancient Greek philosopher and scientist. One of the most influential philosophers in the history of Western thought, Aristotle established the foundations for the modern scientific method of enquiry. Statue
Philosophers to Know, Part I
Immanuel Kant (1724-1804), German philosopher. Print published in London, 1812. Profile portrait surrounded by Ouroboros ancient Egyptian-Greek symbolic serpent with tail in mouth devouring itself representing unity of material and spiritual in eternal...
Philosophers to Know, Part II