Their most notable profession was Philosopher. This is what Kant refers to as a truth of reason, and it is the foundation for his belief in human liberty. This is a birds eye view of philosophy, an overview from the very top, but by no means a comprehensive nor probing dive into any one area. He was also a diplomat, politician, political theorist, historian, dramatist, and humanist writer. During his lifetime, David Hume produced a number of significant and innovative treatises. Sold for 100 via Arenberg Auctions (December 2018). Mill wrote a famous treatise - ' On Liberty' which defined the limits of state involvement in human liberty. Was Blaise Pascal a philosopher or a mathematician, physicist, geometer, controversialist, and Christian apologist? Averroes was a strong proponent of Aristotelianism; he attempted to restore what he considered the original teachings of Aristotle and opposed the Neoplatonist tendencies of earlier Muslim thinkers, such as Al-Farabi and Avicenna. Absent are the great women who have altered the course of human history by way of their ideas and actions. Martin Heidegger was a German philosopher and a seminal thinker in the Continental tradition of philosophy. Ayn Rand was one of the most influential thinkers of the 20th century. A small sampling of topics covered in Aristotles writing includes physics, biology, psychology, linguistics, logic, ethics, rhetoric, politics, government, music, theatre, poetry, and metaphysics. Rene Descartes 4. He was not, however, a well-liked thinker during his lifetime, and it was only after his passing that the profundity of his work became widely recognized. Aristotle (384-322 BCE) . He argued that the domain of Forms embodied this fact. The most well-known ancient Greek Philosopher of all time, Socrates, was a master stonemason and social critic. Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle were three of the finest thinkers of the ancient world. Two instruments influenced Pascals knowledge of this: the microscope and the telescope. Discover schools with the programs and courses youre interested in, and start learning today. The most famous living philosophers include Hossein Nasr and Abdolkarim Soroush. The book had a huge impact, paving the way for the next wave of feminism in Canada, North America, Australia, and other parts of the world. However, the liberties that today constitute the foundation of Western culture the freedom to believe, talk, and act as we like were once merely the fantasy of a few scribbling idealists like Voltaire. West was the first African-American to receive a Ph.D. in philosophy from Princeton University in 1980. And if this birds eye view of the philosophy discipline has sparked your interest, consider diving a little deeper with a look at: Want to leave a comment? The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Another German philosopher makes it on the list. While he is widely regarded as a skeptic, bordering on cynicism, his works demonstrate that he had some understanding of human behavior and the essence of values. Below are some of the most influential philosophers, their schools of thought, and what we can learn from their forward-thinking approach. Materialism. Karl Marx (Germany/UK, 1818-1883) Known for: Marxism. Plato believed that wonderment is the philosophers mood and that philosophy starts with amazement. We concede from the outset that this ranking list reflects a problem, not specifically with our algorithm, but with the human history of influence. Gottfried Leibniz was a German philosopher and mathematician. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". However, we must stay realistic in our assessment of how history is destined to repeat itself. This denotes a clear evolution in an academic field that, for all of its insight and illumination, also has a deep-seated history of Eurocentrism. Platos ideas are universally concerned with the search for Truth and the comprehension of what is Good. She married William Godwin, the prominent British anarchist, a few years later. Developed a belief system focused on both personal and governmental morality through qualities such as justice, sincerity, and positive relationships with others; Advocated for the importance of strong family bonds, including respect for the elder, veneration of ones ancestors, and marital loyalty; Believed in the value of achieving ethical harmony through skilled judgment rather than knowledge of rules, denoting that one should achieve morality through self-cultivation. Indeed, his discourses on identity, the self, and the impact of sensory experience would be essential revelations to many Enlightenment thinkers and, consequently, to real revolutionaries. Friedrich Nietzsche greatly impacted the western world by sharing his writings on multiple subjects, spanning from science to art, culture, history, and everything in between. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Rousseau proposed the earth-shattering idea that only the people have a true right to rule. Kant believed that reason is also the source of morality, and that aesthetics arise from a faculty of disinterested judgment. Moral assessment and moral duty would be inconceivable without human freedom, Kant believed. Lao-Tzu John Locke Niccolo Machiavelli Karl Marx John Stuart Mill Friedrich Nietzsche Plato Jean-Jacques Rousseau Jean-Paul Sartre Socrates Ludwig Wittgenstein Major Philosophers and Their Ideas 1. Role in the First Great Awakening. The first and best-known of this posthumous series is the 1953 book Philosophical Investigations. Were certain Socrates would question our motives, Emerson would criticize us for writing on the subject so far removed from nature, and Nietzsche would make fun of us until we cried. Mary Wollstonecraft was a revolutionary in the respect that she wanted to close the gap between humanitys current state and ultimate perfection. He focused on the importance of the individuals subjective relationship with God, and his work addressed the themes of faith, Christian love, and human emotion. The Most Famous Philosopher is Aristotle. With an emphasis on family and social harmony, Confucius advocated for a way of life that reflected a spiritual and religious tradition, but which was also distinctly humanist and even secularist. James is considered to be a leading thinker of the late nineteenth century, one of the most influential philosophers of the United States, and the Father of American psychology. In an attempt to disprove the oracle, he went on a new career of interrogating others who were considered to be knowledgeable, proving the oracle true. Photo portrait of Russian-American writerAyn Rand used for the first-edition back cover of her novel,The Fountainhead (1943);English: Photo portrait credited to Talbot (though not on original dust jacket). Moreover, our rankings are limited to those thinkers whose work has enjoyed extensive translation in the English-speaking world. Nietzsche: A Guide to His Most Famous Works and Ideas. Plato was one of the most important Ancient Greek philosophers, who contributed greatly to the fields of mathematics, metaphysics, politics, art, and poetry. On 15 lists. Video: Top 10 Philosophers Content The most important and famous philosophers in history 1. Bertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl Russell was a British polymath. Portrait of Auguste Comte in 1849;Johan Hendrik Hoffmeister, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Democritus (460-370 BC) 6. As a result, his philosophy has exerted a unique influence on almost every form of knowledge in the West and it continues to be a subject of contemporary philosophical discussion. Because our influence rankings measure the raw permeation of citations, writing, and ideas originating with each of these thinkers, the rigid prejudices that have persisted throughout history are also reflected on our list. Nietzsche is probably the most influential philosopher on my own thinking, if only because he shattered many of my pre-existing beliefs and illusions. Answer (1 of 5): Counting only philosophers of science, rather than philosophers of the special sciences, and in rough order of fame: 1. Though often identified as a postmodernist, Foucault preferred to think of himself as a critic of modernity. The most influential of Socrates students, Plato was an Athenian philosopher during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. They married right away, with her feminist view of marriage as the basis of all female subjugation and his anarchic perspective of marriage as exactly this type of shackling social norm that needed to be eradicated. Chinese teacher, writer, and philosopher Confucius viewed himself as a channel for the theological ideas and values of the imperial dynasties that came before him. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Philosophers transform their painful experiences into teachings and share them with others in order to rescue them from lifes vices. Rousseau may be credited for providing a basic framework for classical republicanism, a form of government centered around the ideas of civil society, citizenship, and mixed governance. Al-Farabi (872 - 950) Al Farabi's writings pertained to science, cosmology, mathematics and musical theory alongside philosophy. Thats why we call this a Study Starter. Considered one of the first of the British empiricists, following the tradition of Sir Francis Bacon, Locke is equally important to social contract theory. His upbeat outlook on life influenced his other writings, and he was a forerunner in what became known as analytic philosophy. Plato has also often been cited as one of the founders of Western religion and spirituality. Laozi, alongside Confucius, are the best known Chinese philosophers and some of the most famous of all mononymous philosophers. Ludwig Josef Johann Wittgenstein was an Austrian-British philosopher who worked primarily in logic, the philosophy of mathematics, the philosophy of mind, and the philosophy of language. Believed that human beings are condemned to be free, that because there is no Creator who is responsible for our actions, each of us alone is responsible for everything we do; Called for the experience of death consciousness, an understanding of our mortality that promotes an authentic life, one spent in search of experience rather than knowledge; Argued that the existence of free will is in fact evidence of the universes indifference to the individual, an illustration that our freedom to act toward objects is essentially meaningless and therefore of no consequence to be intervened upon by the world. Michel Foucault was a major character in Western philosophy in the 20th century, and top of the most modern philosophers on our list. Thomas Aquinas was an Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, Catholic priest, and Doctor of the Church. Philosophers ideas circulate around ethics, nature, aesthetics, metaphysics, being, logic, knowledge, and theory. Dante greatly altered the trajectory of literary evolution by writing his poetry in the vernacular of Italy during his time instead of Latin. Viewed as a divine figure in traditional Chinese religions, his ideas and writings would form one of the major pillars (alongside Confucius and the Buddha) for Eastern thought. Sren Aabye Kierkegaard was a Danish philosopher, theologian, poet, social critic and religious author who is widely considered to be the first existentialist philosopher. Voltaires criticisms were so relentless, and he was so adept at using both wit and reason, that we cant help but love him today, and he is revered as a renowned thinker from the era known as the Age of Enlightenment. British. Even though they are aware of societys vulnerability, they frequently share their ideas with the globe. Riverside.fm , influence of terror mastermind Osama bin Laden, Find a college admissions consultant near you, Aristotelianism in the Islamic philosophical tradition, Philosophy within a Muslim Religious Tradition, $25,000 no-essay college scholarship! The chi (or qi) is the energy that guides the universe, and he believed that we should exist in harmony. Foucault saw his work as an analytical history of the social interactions linked with capitalism, and he preferred to study capitalism in its historical context. This is not an endorsement of those prejudices-merely a faithful reporting on a subject which is inherently reflective of those prejudices. Ibn Rushd also served as a chief judge and a court physician for the Almohad Caliphate. He has no texts and is remembered mostly for his posthumous accounts of Xenophon and Plato, his students. Held the conviction that the study of philosophy must begin through a close and ongoing study of history; Demanded that social constructs be more closely examined for hierarchical inequalities, as well as through an analysis of the corresponding fields of knowledge supporting these unequal structures; Believed oppressed humans are entitled to rights and they have a duty to rise up against the abuse of power to protect these rights. As the pupil of Socrates and the mentor to Aristotle, Plato is the connecting figure in what might be termed the great triumvirate of Greek thought in both philosophy and science. Aristotle (384-322 BC) 9. There are lot of colorful narratives surrounding Lao-Tzu, some of which are almost certainly myth. This idea in particular would remain an important component of the existentialist and surrealist movements that followed. TheHistoryofphilosophyis as rich as it is complex. He began his career as a classical philologist before turning to philosophy. Under the Hundred Schools of Thought period, his disciples contended with many other systems, only to be repressed in support of the Legalists throughout the Qin empire. Prussian-born (and therefore identified as a German philosopher), Kant is considered among the most essential figures in modern philosophy, an advocate of reason as the source for morality, and a thinker whose ideas continue to permeate ethical, epistemological, and political debate. Machiavelli was an empiricist who used experience and historical fact to inform his beliefs, a disposition which allowed him to divorce politics not just from theology but from morality as well. However, Kant argues that the complete natural world is subjected to a rigorous Newtonian causation principle, suggesting that all of our physical activities are produced by antecedent events rather than by our free will. Greek philosopher and teacher Plato did nothing less than found the first institution of higher learning in the Western World, establishing the Academy of Athens and cementing his own status as the most important figure in the development of western philosophical tradition. As Buddhism became the dominant spiritual force in China, Confucianism declined in practice. As a result, he tried to defend himself, but the jury (made up of hundreds of male Athenian residents) found him guilty of all charges. He became the youngest person ever to hold the Chair of Classical Philology at the University of Basel in 1869 at the age of 24. The idea that the mind and body are distinct is intriguing. Usman dan Fodio ( 1754 - 1817) With an HPI of 57.72, Usman dan Fodio is the most famous Philosopher. The founding principle of philosophy is perhaps the astonishment, source of the questions. This is why the teachings of the top ten philosophers still hold true to this day. He is widely considered as one of the most important and influential individuals in human history, and the pivotal figure in the history of Ancient Greek and Western philosophy, along with his teacher, Socrates, and his most famous student, Aristotle. With an HPI of . (2016). Aristotle is often referred to as the first scientist in history. 8 Most Famous French Philosophers Who Have Changed the World; 1. Aristotle is one of the most famous and influential philosophers and naturalists in history. As a student of Socrates, who was a key player in writing down his teachings, Plato also founded the Academy of Athens. One of his main philosophies is known as nihilism, the idea that everything lacks meaning, including life itself. She met an American explorer in Paris in 1792 while celebrating the French Revolution, and their liberal and unmarried escapades together resulted in her first daughter. And ideas expressed just by those included here fill untold volumes of writing. He is remembered for wanting to make education available to all and established teaching as an actual career. In traditional telling, though Lao-Tzu never opened a formal school, he worked as an archivist for the royal court of Zhou Dynasty. The number of individuals who have impacted the course of human history through their insight, intuition, and intellect is far too great to quantify. Immanuel Kant was a German philosopher and one of the central Enlightenment thinkers. For a look at the philosophers with the greatest influence on the field today, check out: With this limitation acknowledged, we bring you What follows is a list, in order, of the most influential philosophers who ever lived. Confucius (551-479 B.C.) Socrates' most famous philosophy was first put to the test in court. Honestly, the only real way you can fully comprehend the theories, epistemologies, and frameworks described here is to read the writing created by and critique dedicated to each of these thinkers. He also believed that anxiety was derived from irrational desires, and by eliminating the fear of punishment and death, you could relieve yourself of anxiety and find happiness. It performs this calculation by drawing from Wikipedia/data, Crossref, and an ever-growing body of data reflecting academic achievement and merit. His most prominent works described the parameters of effective rulership, in which he seems to advocate for leadership by any means which retain power, including deceit, murder, and oppression.