This is a list of philosophers from the Western tradition of philosophy. Western philosophers Greek philosophers 600–500 BCE Thales of Miletus (c. 624 – 546 BCE). Of the Milesian school. Believed that all was made of water. Pherecydes of Syros (c. 620 – c. 550 BCE). Cosmologist. Anaximander of Miletus (c. 610 – 546 BCE). Of the Milesian school. Famous for the concept of Apeiron, or "the boundless". Anaximenes of Miletus (c. 585 – 525 BCE). Of the Milesian school. Believed that all was made of air. Pythagoras of Samos (c. 580 – c. 500 BCE). Of the Ionian School. Believed the deepest reality to be composed of numbers, and that souls are immortal. Xenophanes of Colophon (c. 570 – 480 BCE). Advocated monotheism. Sometimes associated with the Eleatic school. Epicharmus of Kos (c. 530 – 450 BCE). Comic playwright and moralist. 500–400 BCE Heraclitus of Ephesus (c. 535 – c. 475 BCE). Of the Ionians. Emphasized the mutability of the universe. Parmenides of Elea (c. 515 – 450 BCE). Of the Eleatics. Reflected on the concept of Being. Anaxagoras of Clazomenae (c. 500 – 428 BCE). Of the Ionians. Pluralist. Empedocles (492 – 432 BCE). Eclectic cosmogonist. Pluralist. Zeno of Elea (c. 490 – 430 BCE). Of the Eleatics. Known for his paradoxes. Protagoras of Abdera (c. 481 – 420 BCE). Sophist. Early advocate of relativism. Antiphon (480 – 411 BCE). Sophist. Hippias (Middle of the 5th century BCE). Sophist. Gorgias. (c. 483 – 375 BCE). Sophist. Early advocate of solipsism. Socrates of Athens (c. 470 – 399 BCE). Emphasized virtue ethics. In epistemology, understood dialectic to be central to the pursuit of truth. Critias of Athens (c. 460 – 413 BCE). Atheist writer and politician. Prodicus of Ceos (c. 465 – c. 395 BCE). Sophist. Leucippus of Miletus (First half of the 5th century BCE). Founding Atomist, Determinist. Thrasymachus of Miletus (c. 459 – c. 400 BCE). Sophist. Democritus of Abdera (c. 450 – 370 BCE). Founding Atomist. Diagoras of Melos (c. 450 – 415 BCE). Atheist. Archelaus. A pupil of Anaxagoras. Melissus of Samos. Eleatic. Cratylus. Follower of Heraclitus. Ion of Chios. Pythagorean cosmologist. Echecrates. Pythagorean. Timaeus of Locri. Pythagorean. 400–300 BCE Antisthenes (c. 444 – 365 BCE). Founder of Cynicism. Pupil of Socrates. Aristippus of Cyrene (c. 440 – 366 BCE). A Cyrenaic. Advocate of ethical hedonism. Alcidamas c. 435 – c. 350 BCE). Sophist. Lycophron