He was a student of professors Ioannis Kakridis, Stylianos Kapsomenos, Nicos Andriotis, Agapitos Tsopanakis, Charalambos Gieros and Linos Politis; at the University of Cologne he attended the courses and seminars in the history of philosophy by Paul Wilpert, who was his thesis supervisor.
Yet, he received a scholarship from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, and remained four years in Preveza and Athens as secondary school teacher.
A later view of Linos Benakis as regards that era, is that if the Generation of the 1930s had completed its course, it could have the opportunity, due to the political and social conditions, as well as the international developments, to proceed in a Greek renaissance of the real and scientific life.
Thus, under the supervision of Linos Benakis a variety of researchers worked, so that the literary and philosophical work of Byzantine philosophers to emerge, such as: Michael Psellos, Nicholaos Methonis, Nikephoros Blemmydes, George Pachymeres, Manuel Olovolos, Prochoros Cydones, Barlaam of Seminara, Theophanes of Nicaea, Demetrios Kydones, Gemistus Pletho.
Benakis introduced the intertextuality in the study of Byzantine philosophy, by establishing a network of references, and revealing its structural reality in a long-term historical development.
[6] The method which Linos Benakis employs was characterized as historical-critical, backed by scrupulous textual verification and examination of the content of other scholars’ findings,[7] arriving eventually at a consistent interpretation of philosophical thought, in direct or indirect relation to the question arises every time.
The historical-critical method was used both for the critical edition or reedition of texts and for highlighting the peculiarity that the Byzantine philosophical thought was in the long tradition of Greece.
The important contribution of Linos Benakis’ work in the History of Philosophy quickly gained wide recognition and acceptance by the scientific community.
In a speech[10] in the Meeting of the Academy of Athens on December 7, 2010, on the "Cultural roots of Europe", on the occasion of the book by the French Professor Sylvain Gouguenheim, "Aristotle at Mont-Saint-Michel: The Greek roots of Christian Europe", he endorsed the author's views, which received negative criticism by islamophiles, and referred to the contribution of Greek Byzantium in the spread of Aristotelianism in the West.
[11] The Society of Friends of Panayiotis Kanellopoulos at its event on February 22, 2017, in the Athens Club declared its former chairman, Linos Benakis, Honorary President to honor his long-term contribution.