Since the beginning of Western civilization, philosophy has existed. Athens experienced the height of Greek philosophy in the fifth century BC. The writings of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle influenced thought for thousands of years, becoming essential to it during the Roman era, the Middle Ages, and later in the Renaissance.

        Christian philosophy was influential from the height of the Roman republic until at least the enlightenment. Epistemology problems and the emergence of new ethical schools were topics of discussion in the 18th century. Questions of language, logic, and meaning gained prominence in the late 1800s, and one of the greatest bursts of philosophical study ever witnessed occurred in the 20th century. Nowadays, philosophy is used to inform practically every aspect of life, from science to artificial intelligence, politics to combat.