| Philosopher | Country / Region | Time (BC/AD) | Type of Philosophy / Main Ideas |
| Thales of Miletus | Greece | c. 624–546 BC | Natural philosophy — water as origin of all things |
| Pythagoras | Greece | c. 570–495 BC | Mathematical harmony, reincarnation |
| Heraclitus | Greece | c. 535–475 BC | Doctrine of change — “everything flows” |
| Parmenides | Greece | c. 515–450 BC | Being is one, reality unchanging |
| Socrates | Greece | 469–399 BC | Ethics, moral reasoning, Socratic method |
| Plato | Greece | 427–347 BC | Idealism, world of Forms, rationalism |
| Aristotle | Greece | 384–322 BC | Logic, ethics, realism, scientific observation |
| Epicurus | Greece | 341–270 BC | Pleasure as absence of pain (hedonism) |
| Zeno of Citium | Greece | 334–262 BC | Stoicism — virtue, reason, and nature |
| Diogenes of Sinope | Greece | c. 412–323 BC | Cynicism — simplicity, rejection of convention |
| Confucius (Kong Fuzi) | China | 551–479 BC | Confucian ethics, virtue, social order |
| Laozi (Lao Tzu) | China | 6th century BC | Daoism — harmony, Wu Wei (“effortless action”) |
| Zhuangzi | China | 369–286 BC | Daoist relativism, freedom of mind |
| Mozi | China | 470–391 BC | Universal love, utilitarian thought |
| Xunzi | China | 313–238 BC | Confucian realism, human nature as evil |
| Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama) | India | c. 563–483 BC | Four Noble Truths, Middle Way, Nirvana |
| Mahavira | India | c. 599–527 BC | Jainism — non-violence, ascetic discipline |
| Kapila | India | c. 700 BC | Samkhya dualism (Purusha & Prakriti) |
| Patanjali | India | c. 2nd century BC | Yoga Sutras — discipline of mind |
| Nagarjuna | India | c. 150–250 AD | Mahayana Buddhism — emptiness (Śūnyatā) |
| Chanakya (Kautilya) | India | c. 375–283 BC | Political realism, Arthashastra |
| Cicero | Rome | 106–43 BC | Stoic ethics, natural law |
| Seneca | Rome | 4 BC–65 AD | Stoicism — reason and emotional control |
| Epictetus | Greece/Rome | 50–135 AD | Stoicism — inner freedom, virtue |
| Marcus Aurelius | Rome | 121–180 AD | Stoic emperor, duty, moral reflection |
| Plotinus | Egypt/Rome | 204–270 AD | Neoplatonism — “The One”, emanations of being |
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