Great Thinkers

Meet the great minds whose ideas have shaped the world — philosophers, scientists, artists, leaders, and revolutionaries whose thinking still matters today.

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Era: Ancient × Creative expression ×

c. 287 BCE - c. 212 BCE · Syracuse, Sicily (Hellenistic Greek world)

Archimedes was a Greek mathematician, scientist, and engineer. He was born around 287 BCE in Syracuse, a Greek city on the island of Sicily. We…

Scientific thinking Problem solving Critical thinking Creative expression +1

"Eureka! I have found it!"

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Augustine of Hippo

354 CE - 430 CE · Roman North Africa (modern Algeria)

Augustine of Hippo was a Christian bishop, theologian, and writer in late Roman North Africa. He is one of the most influential Christian thinkers in…

Ethical thinking Critical thinking Creative expression Research skills +1

"You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you."

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c. 45-c. 117 CE · China (Han dynasty)

Ban Zhao was a Chinese historian, poet, and teacher of the Eastern Han dynasty. She is the first known woman historian of China. She was…

Research skills Creative expression Ethical thinking Cultural heritage and identity +1

"Yet only to teach men and not to teach women — is this not ignoring the essential relationship between them?"

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c. 480 CE - 524 CE · Rome (under Ostrogothic rule)

Boethius was a Roman scholar and statesman who lived during the collapse of the Western Roman Empire. His full name was Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius.…

Critical thinking Creative expression Ethical thinking Research skills +1

"In every adversity of fortune, the most unhappy kind of misfortune is to have been happy."

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106-43 BCE · Roman Republic (Italy)

Marcus Tullius Cicero was a Roman lawyer, statesman, philosopher, and writer. He is one of the most influential figures in the history of Western law…

Critical thinking Ethical thinking Creative expression Research skills +1

"The safety of the people shall be the highest law."

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c. 325 BCE - c. 265 BCE · Alexandria, Egypt (Hellenistic Greek world)

Euclid was a Greek mathematician who lived in Alexandria, in Egypt, around 300 BCE. He is sometimes called the 'father of geometry'. We know almost…

Scientific thinking Critical thinking Problem solving Research skills +1

"There is no royal road to geometry."

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c. 2650 BCE - c. 2600 BCE · Ancient Egypt (probably Memphis area)

Imhotep was an ancient Egyptian architect, doctor, and high official. He lived around 2,650 BCE, more than 4,500 years ago. This makes him one of…

Scientific thinking Creative expression Problem solving Cultural heritage and identity +1

"Imhotep, son of Ptah, the great chief of artists."

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c. 371-289 BCE · China

Mencius was a Chinese philosopher. His Chinese name was Meng Ke, which means 'Master Meng'. Later Chinese tradition called him the 'Second Sage', meaning second…

Ethical thinking Critical thinking Emotional intelligence Cultural heritage and identity +1

"The feeling of pity is the beginning of kindness. The feeling of shame is the beginning of doing right. The…"

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c. 184 - c. 253 CE · Alexandria, Roman Egypt

Origen was an early Christian scholar and teacher. He was born around 184 CE in Alexandria, in Roman Egypt, and died around 253 CE. He…

Critical thinking Research skills Ethical thinking Cultural heritage and identity +1

"The Scriptures were written by the Spirit of God, and have a meaning not only such as is plain, but…"

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c. 428 BCE - c. 348 BCE · Athens, Greece

Plato was an ancient Greek philosopher. He is one of the most important thinkers in human history. The whole tradition of Western philosophy has been…

Critical thinking Ethical thinking Creative expression Research skills +1

"The unexamined life is not worth living."

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c. 145 BCE - c. 86 BCE · Han China (modern Shaanxi province)

Sima Qian was a Chinese historian and writer. He lived from around 145 BCE to about 86 BCE, during the Western Han dynasty. He is…

Research skills Critical thinking Creative expression Cultural heritage and identity +1

"I have committed myself to writing the history of all that has happened from the time of the Yellow Emperor…"

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c. 480 BCE - c. 400 BCE · South Asia (modern Nepal/India border)

The Buddha was a teacher who lived in northern India around 2,500 years ago. His personal name was Siddhartha Gautama. 'Buddha' is a title. It…

Ethical thinking Emotional intelligence Critical thinking Cultural heritage and identity +1

"All conditioned things are impermanent. Work out your own salvation with diligence."

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c. 369-286 BCE · China

Zhuangzi was a Chinese philosopher of the 4th century BCE. His name means 'Master Zhuang'. His personal name was Zhuang Zhou. He lived during a…

Critical thinking Creative expression Emotional intelligence Ethical thinking +1

"Once Zhuang Zhou dreamed he was a butterfly, a butterfly flitting and fluttering around, happy with himself and doing as…"

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