Creating a comprehensive, chronological list of philosophers who have discussed ethics, morality, or responsibility is challenging due to the vast scope of the subject. Below is a curated list highlighting influential thinkers across various traditions and periods. This list is not exhaustive but covers significant contributors to ethical philosophy.

 

Ancient Philosophy

1. Confucius (551–479 BCE) – Chinese philosopher who emphasised virtue, moral order, and responsibility in social relationships.

2. Mozi (c. 470–391 BCE) – Chinese philosopher who argued for universal love and impartial care as a basis for morality.

3. Socrates (469–399 BCE) – Greek philosopher who explored ethics through questioning and dialogue, focusing on virtue and the good life.

4. Plato (427–347 BCE) – Greek philosopher who linked ethics to metaphysics, emphasising the role of justice and the "Forms."

5. Aristotle (384–322 BCE) – Greek philosopher who developed virtue ethics, focusing on achieving eudaimonia (flourishing) through virtuous living.

6. Zeno of Citium (c. 334–262 BCE) – Founder of Stoicism, which emphasised living in harmony with nature and rationality to achieve ethical living.

7. Epicurus (341–270 BCE) – Greek philosopher who argued for ethical hedonism, prioritising pleasure and the avoidance of pain.

8. Mahavira (c. 599–527 BCE) – Founder of Jainism, emphasising non-violence (ahimsa), truth, and self-discipline as core ethical principles.

9. Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama, c. 563–483 BCE) – Indian philosopher and spiritual leader who developed an ethical path focused on reducing suffering and achieving enlightenment.

 

Hellenistic and Roman Philosophy

1. Cicero (106–43 BCE) – Roman philosopher who integrated Stoicism with Roman law and duties to the state.

2. Epictetus (c. 50–135 CE) – Stoic philosopher who emphasised personal responsibility and the distinction between what is within our control and what is not.

3. Marcus Aurelius (121–180 CE) – Roman Emperor and Stoic philosopher who reflected on moral responsibility and self-discipline.

 

Medieval Philosophy

1. Augustine of Hippo (354–430) – Christian philosopher who explored the relationship between divine will, sin, and human moral responsibility.

2. Avicenna (Ibn Sina, 980–1037) – Persian philosopher who linked ethics to rationalism and Islamic theology.

3. Al-Ghazali (1058–1111) – Islamic philosopher who emphasised integrating divine law with ethical living.

4. Maimonides (1138–1204) – Jewish philosopher who synthesised Aristotelian ethics with Jewish thought.

5. Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) – Scholastic philosopher who synthesised Aristotelian ethics with Christian theology, focusing on natural law and virtue.

6. Wang Yangming (1472–1529) – Chinese philosopher who argued that moral knowledge is innate and action-oriented.

 

Renaissance and Early Modern Philosophy

1. Niccolò Machiavelli (1469–1527) – Italian thinker who examined the role of morality in political leadership and pragmatism.

2. Francisco de Vitoria (c. 1483–1546) – Spanish philosopher who developed early concepts of human rights and ethics in colonial contexts.

3. Thomas Hobbes (1588–1679) – English philosopher who argued for social contracts as a basis for moral and political order.

4. Baruch Spinoza (1632–1677) – Dutch philosopher who linked ethics to a rational understanding of nature and human emotions.

5. John Locke (1632–1704) – English thinker who emphasised natural rights and the moral responsibilities of governance.

 

Enlightenment and Modern Philosophy

1. David Hume (1711–1776) – Scottish philosopher who argued that morality is grounded in human emotions and sentiments.

2. Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–1778) – French philosopher who explored the relationship between human freedom, morality, and society.

3. Immanuel Kant (1724–1804) – German philosopher who developed deontological ethics, focusing on duty, autonomy, and the categorical imperative.

4. Jeremy Bentham (1748–1832) – Founder of utilitarianism, advocating for the greatest happiness principle.

5. John Stuart Mill (1806–1873) – English philosopher who expanded on utilitarianism, considering individual liberty and higher pleasures.

 

19th and Early 20th Century Philosophy

1. Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900) – German philosopher who critiqued traditional morality and proposed the idea of life-affirming ethics.

2. G. E. Moore (1873–1958) – British philosopher who contributed to metaethics, questioning the nature of "good."

3. Mohandas Gandhi (1869–1948) – Indian leader who applied ethical principles of non-violence (ahimsa) and truth (satya) to political and social contexts.

 

Contemporary Philosophy

1. Jean-Paul Sartre (1905–1980) – French existentialist who emphasised personal freedom and moral responsibility.

2. Simone de Beauvoir (1908–1986) – French existentialist who explored ethics in the context of feminism and human freedom.

3. John Rawls (1921–2002) – American philosopher who proposed theories of justice and fairness in ethics.

4. Amartya Sen (b. 1933) – Indian economist and philosopher who connected ethics to development, justice, and human capabilities.

5. Alasdair MacIntyre (b. 1929) – Scottish philosopher known for his work in virtue ethics and critiques of modern moral theory.

6. Peter Singer (b. 1946) – Australian ethicist who advocates for utilitarian approaches to global ethics and animal rights.

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I also asked ChatGPT to cluster the philosophers into groups based on their ethical approaches, traditions, or philosophical movements:

 

Virtue Ethics and Character-Based Approaches

• Confucius – Focused on moral virtues and harmonious relationships.

• Aristotle – Developed virtue ethics, linking ethics to flourishing (eudaimonia).

• Thomas Aquinas – Integrated Aristotelian virtue ethics with Christian theology.

• Wang Yangming – Advocated for innate moral knowledge and action.

• Alasdair MacIntyre – Revived virtue ethics in modern philosophy, critiquing moral fragmentation.

 

Deontological and Duty-Based Ethics

• Immanuel Kant – Focused on duty, autonomy, and universal moral laws through the categorical imperative.

 

Consequentialism and Utilitarianism

• Epicurus – Ethical hedonism centred on pleasure and pain avoidance.

• Jeremy Bentham – Developed utilitarianism based on the greatest happiness principle.

• John Stuart Mill – Refined utilitarianism by incorporating liberty and higher pleasures.

• Peter Singer – Applied utilitarianism to global ethics, animal rights, and effective altruism.

 

Existential and Individual-Centred Ethics

• Socrates – Emphasised self-examination and personal virtue through dialogue.

• Jean-Paul Sartre – Advocated for freedom and individual moral responsibility.

• Simone de Beauvoir – Explored ethics in the context of gender and existential freedom.

 

Social Contract and Political Ethics

• Thomas Hobbes – Argued for social contracts to ensure order and avoid chaos.

• John Locke – Focused on natural rights and the ethical foundations of governance.

• Jean-Jacques Rousseau – Examined how society shapes morality and freedom.

• Francisco de Vitoria – Early thinker on human rights in colonial contexts.

• John Rawls – Proposed justice as fairness in social structures.

 

Stoicism and Rational Ethics

• Zeno of Citium – Founded Stoicism, focusing on rationality and harmony with nature.

• Cicero – Blended Stoicism with Roman political ethics.

• Epictetus – Emphasised personal control and ethical discipline.

• Marcus Aurelius – Reflected on ethical leadership and responsibility.

 

Religious and Theological Ethics

• Buddha – Focused on reducing suffering and ethical living through the Eightfold Path.

• Mahavira – Emphasised non-violence (ahimsa) and ethical discipline in Jainism.

• Augustine of Hippo – Explored divine will, sin, and human responsibility.

• Thomas Aquinas – Combined Christian theology with Aristotelian ethics.

• Avicenna – Linked ethics to rationalism and Islamic theology.

• Al-Ghazali – Synthesised Islamic law with ethical living.

• Maimonides – Integrated Jewish theology with Aristotelian ethics.

• Mohandas Gandhi – Applied non-violence (ahimsa) and truth (satya) to ethics.

 

Critiques of Traditional Morality

• David Hume – Argued that morality is rooted in emotions rather than reason.

• Friedrich Nietzsche – Critiqued conventional moral systems and proposed life-affirming values.

• G. E. Moore – Questioned the meaning of "good" in metaethics.

 

Pragmatism and Political Realism

• Niccolò Machiavelli – Explored morality and pragmatism in political leadership.

 

Cross-Tradition and Developmental Ethics

• Baruch Spinoza – Linked ethics to rational understanding of nature and emotions.

• Amartya Sen – Explored ethics in the context of development, justice, and human capabilities.

 

This clustering highlights the diversity of ethical thought across time and cultures. Some philosophers belong to multiple categories, reflecting the complexity of their ideas.