The Most Famous
PHILOSOPHERS from Libya
This page contains a list of the greatest Libyan Philosophers. The pantheon dataset contains 1,267 Philosophers, 8 of which were born in Libya. This makes Libya the birth place of the 25th most number of Philosophers behind Iraq, and Netherlands.
Top 9
The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Libyan Philosophers of all time. This list of famous Libyan Philosophers is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.
1. Aristippus (-434 - -355)
With an HPI of 73.69, Aristippus is the most famous Libyan Philosopher. His biography has been translated into 55 different languages on wikipedia.
Aristippus of Cyrene (; Ancient Greek: Ἀρίστιππος ὁ Κυρηναῖος; c. 435 – c. 356 BCE) was a hedonistic Greek philosopher and the founder of the Cyrenaic school of philosophy. He was a pupil of Socrates, but adopted a different philosophical outlook, teaching that the goal of life was to seek pleasure by adapting circumstances to oneself and by maintaining proper control over both adversity and prosperity. His view that pleasure is the only good came to be called ethical hedonism. Due to the ideological and philosophical differences between Socrates and himself, Aristippus faced backlash by Socrates and many of his fellow-pupils. Out of his hedonistic beliefs, Aristippus' most famous phrase was, "I possess, I am not possessed." Despite having two sons, Aristippus identified his daughter Arete as the "intellectual heiress" of his work, resulting in the systematization of his work and the Cyrenaic school of philosophy, by Arete, and her son Aristippus the Younger, Aristippus' grandson, during the later years of his life and after his death. There are indications that Aristippus was conflated with his grandson, Aristippus the Younger.
2. Carneades (-214 - -129)
With an HPI of 66.83, Carneades is the 2nd most famous Libyan Philosopher. His biography has been translated into 41 different languages.
Carneades (; Greek: Καρνεάδης, Karneadēs, "of Carnea"; 214/3–129/8 BC) was a Greek philosopher, perhaps the most prominent head of the Skeptical Academy in ancient Greece. He was born in Cyrene. By the year 159 BC, he had begun to attack many previous dogmatic doctrines, especially Stoicism and even the Epicureans, whom previous skeptics had spared. As scholarch (leader) of the Academy, he was one of three philosophers sent to Rome in 155 BC where his lectures on the uncertainty of justice caused consternation among leading politicians. He left no writings. Many of his opinions are known only via his successor Clitomachus. He seems to have doubted the ability not just of the senses but of reason too in acquiring truth. His skepticism was, however, moderated by the belief that we can, nevertheless, ascertain probabilities (not in the sense of statistical probability, but in the sense of persuasiveness) of truth, to enable us to act.
3. Synesius (370 - 413)
With an HPI of 65.22, Synesius is the 3rd most famous Libyan Philosopher. His biography has been translated into 31 different languages.
Synesius of Cyrene (; Greek: Συνέσιος; c. 373 – c. 414) was a Greek bishop of Ptolemais in ancient Libya, a part of the Western Pentapolis of Cyrenaica after 410. He was born of wealthy parents at Balagrae (now Bayda, Libya) near Cyrene between 370 and 375.
4. Theodorus the Atheist (-340 - -250)
With an HPI of 60.68, Theodorus the Atheist is the 4th most famous Libyan Philosopher. His biography has been translated into 27 different languages.
Theodorus "the Atheist" (‹See Tfd›Greek: Θεόδωρος ὁ ἄθεος, translit. Theódōros ho átheos; c. 340 – c. 250 BCE), of Cyrene, was a Greek philosopher of the Cyrenaic school. He lived in both Greece and Alexandria, before ending his days in his native city of Cyrene. As a Cyrenaic philosopher, he taught that the goal of life was to obtain joy and avoid grief, and that the former resulted from knowledge, and the latter from ignorance. However, his principal claim to fame was his alleged atheism. He was usually designated by ancient writers ho atheos (ὁ ἄθεος), "the atheist."
5. Arete of Cyrene (-400 - -340)
With an HPI of 60.04, Arete of Cyrene is the 5th most famous Libyan Philosopher. Her biography has been translated into 22 different languages.
Arete of Cyrene (; ‹See Tfd›Greek: Ἀρήτη; fl. 4th century BC) was a Cyrenaic philosopher who lived in Cyrene, Libya. She was the daughter of Aristippus of Cyrene.
6. Hegesias of Cyrene (-400 - -300)
With an HPI of 59.91, Hegesias of Cyrene is the 6th most famous Libyan Philosopher. His biography has been translated into 24 different languages.
Hegesias (‹See Tfd›Greek: Ἡγησίας; fl. 290 BC) of Cyrene was a Cyrenaic philosopher. He argued that eudaimonia (happiness) is impossible to achieve, and that the goal of life should be the avoidance of pain and sorrow. Conventional values such as wealth, poverty, freedom, and slavery are all indifferent and produce no more pleasure than pain. Cicero claims that Hegesias wrote a book called ἀποκαρτερῶν (Death by Starvation), which persuaded so many people that death is more desirable than life that Hegesias was banned from teaching in Alexandria. It has been thought by some that Hegesias was influenced by Buddhist teachings.
7. Lucius Annaeus Cornutus (10 - 80)
With an HPI of 55.15, Lucius Annaeus Cornutus is the 7th most famous Libyan Philosopher. His biography has been translated into 21 different languages.
Lucius Annaeus Cornutus (Ancient Greek: Ἀνναῖος Κορνοῦτος) was a Stoic philosopher who flourished in the reign of Nero (c. 60 AD), when his house in Rome was a school of philosophy.
8. Anniceris (-400 - -360)
With an HPI of 53.39, Anniceris is the 8th most famous Libyan Philosopher. His biography has been translated into 17 different languages.
Anniceris (‹See Tfd›Greek: Ἀννίκερις; fl. 300 BC) was a Cyrenaic philosopher. He argued that pleasure is achieved through individual acts of gratification which are sought for the pleasure that they produce, but he also laid great emphasis on the love of family, country, friendship and gratitude, which provide pleasure even when they demand sacrifice.
9. Lacydes of Cyrene (-300 - -205)
With an HPI of 52.10, Lacydes of Cyrene is the 9th most famous Libyan Philosopher. His biography has been translated into 16 different languages.
Lacydes of Cyrene (‹See Tfd›Greek: Λακύδης ὁ Κυρηναῖος), Academic Skeptic philosopher, was head of the Platonic Academy at Athens in succession to Arcesilaus from 241 BC. He was forced to resign c. 215 BC due to ill-health, and he died c. 205 BC. Nothing survives of his works.
People
Pantheon has 9 people classified as Libyan philosophers born between 434 BC and 370. Of these 9, none of them are still alive today. The most famous deceased Libyan philosophers include Aristippus, Carneades, and Synesius. As of April 2024, 1 new Libyan philosophers have been added to Pantheon including Lacydes of Cyrene.
Deceased Libyan Philosophers
Go to all Rankings
Aristippus
434 BC - 355 BC
HPI: 73.69
Carneades
214 BC - 129 BC
HPI: 66.83
Synesius
370 - 413
HPI: 65.22
Theodorus the Atheist
340 BC - 250 BC
HPI: 60.68
Arete of Cyrene
400 BC - 340 BC
HPI: 60.04
Hegesias of Cyrene
400 BC - 300 BC
HPI: 59.91
Lucius Annaeus Cornutus
10 - 80
HPI: 55.15
Anniceris
400 BC - 360 BC
HPI: 53.39
Lacydes of Cyrene
300 BC - 205 BC
HPI: 52.10
