# 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.
* 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

## A

* Aenesidemus, (1st century BC)
* Agastya,(c.1000 BCE)
* Alcibiades, (c. 450-404 BC)
* Alcmaeon of Croton, (5th century BC)
* Anacharsis, (6th century BC)
* Anaxagoras, (died 462 BC)*
* Anaxarchus, (fl. 340 BC)
* Anaxilaus, (1st century BC)
* Anaximander, (c. 610-c. 546 BC)
* Anaximenes of Miletus, (585-525 BC)
* Andronicus of Rhodes, (c. 70 BC)
* Angiras, (c. 11th century BC)
* Anniceris, (fl. 300 BC)
* Akspada Gautama,(8th century bc)
* Antiochus of Ascalon, (c. 130-68 BC)
* Antiphon, (480-403 BC)
* Antisthenes, (c. 444-365 BC)
* Arcesilaus, (316-241 BC)
* Archimedes, (d. 212 BC)
* Archytas, (428-347 BC)
* Aristippus the Elder of Cyrene, (c. 435-366 BC)
* Aristo of Chios, (fl. 250 BC)
* Aristotle, (384 BC-322 BC)
* 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)
* Carneades, (c. 214-129 BC)
* Cārvāka, (c. 200-150 BC)
* Cebes of Thebes, (5th century BC)
* Chaerephon, (c. 460-c. 400 BC)
* Chanakya (or Kautilya) (321-296 BC)
* Chao Cuo (c. 200-154 BC)
* Chia Yi (or Jia Yi or Chia I), (201-169 BC)
* Chrysippus, (279-207 BC)
* Cicero, (106 BC-43 BC)
* Cleanthes, (301-232 BC)
* Cleobulus, (fl. 560 BC)
* Clitomachus, (187-109 BC)
* Confucius, (551 BC-479 BC)
* Crantor, (4th century BC)
* Crates of Thebes, (4th century BC)
* Cratylus of Athens, (c. 400 BC)

## D

* Democritus, (born 460 BC)
* Dirghatamas (14th century BCE)
* Deng Xi (501 BC)
* Diagoras, (5th century BC)
* Dandamis (4th Century BCE)
* Diodorus Cronus, (3rd century BC)
* Diogenes Apolloniates, (c. 460 BC)
* Diogenes the Cynic of Sinope, (412-323 BC)
* Dong Zhongshu (or Tung Chung-shu), (c. 176-c. 104 BC)

## E

* Ellopion of Peparethus, (4th century BC)
* Empedocles, (490 BC-430 BC)
* Epicharmus, (c. 540-450 BC)
* Epicurus, (341 BC-270 BC)
* 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)

## G

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

## H

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

## I

* Isocrates, (436-338 BC)

## 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)
* Leucippus, (5th century BC)
* Li Kui (455 BC-395 BC)
* Li Si, (c. 280-208 BC)
* Liezi (or Lieh Tzu), (c. 440 BC-c. 360 BC)
* Lu Ban (507-440 BC)
* Lucretius, (c. 99-55 BC)

## M

* Mahavira, (599-527 BC)
* Makkhali Gosala, (6th century BC)
* Melissus of Samos, (late 5th century BC)
* Mencius (or Meng K'o or Meng-tzu or Mengzi), (372-289 BC)
* 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)

## N

* Nagasena (born 150 BC)

## O

* Ostanes, Iranian alchemist mage

## P

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

## S

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

## T

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

## U

* Uddalaka Aruni (c. 1000 BC)

## V

* Vasishtha (12th century BCE)
* Vyasa

## X

* Xenocrates, (396-314 BC)
* Xenophanes of Colophon, (570-480 BC)
* Xenophon, (427-355 BC)
* Xun Zi (or Hsun Tzu), (c. 310-237 BC)*
* Xu Xing

## Y

* Yajnavalkya, (fl. c. 7th century BC)
* Yang Chu, (370-319 BC)
* Yang Xiong (or Yang Hsiung) (53 BC-AD 18)

## Z

* Zengzi (505 BC-436 BC)
* Zeno of Citium (333 BC-264 BC)
* Zeno of Elea (c. 495 BC-c. 430 BC)
* 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)
* Zichan (522 BC)
* Zisi (c. 481-402 BC)
* Zoroaster
* Zou Yan (3rd century BC)