Socrates, Plato, Aristotle

Three generations of Greek philosophers establish the foundations of Western thought, science, and ethics.

Socrates pioneered dialectical questioning, Plato constructed elaborate metaphysical systems, and Aristotle systematized virtually every branch of knowledge. Together, they created frameworks that dominated Western thought for two millennia.

Perspective

Whitehead said all of Western philosophy is "footnotes to Plato" — and while that's an exaggeration, it captures something real. But I think Aristotle matters more for practical history. His empiricism, flawed as it was, pointed toward science. Plato pointed toward ideology.