In the interest of discussion, and because the only girl said it is better than nothing. I never tire of hearing that from a chick
Plato: hands down, without a doubt, the top player on the board. Having studied Plato in some detail and spent many hours with his dialogs, I can honestly say I have only begun to explore what appears to be an almost unfathomable intellect. Platonism has done more damage than you can possible imagine to the depth of Plato’s thought. When asked about the one book you can have on an island, Plato’s Complete Works is the only possible answer. Solid pick.
Soren Kierkegaard: I don’t know where Soren was taken, but if not for Plato this would be the best pick in terms of philosophical thought. His Concept of Anxiety is arguable one of the most difficult and profoundly insightful texts I have ever read. Another often misunderstood and over generalized philosopher, this guy could out think the best of them in his sleep. Excellent pick.
Friedrich Nietzsche: I actually think Nietzsche is a bit over the top, but his philosophical bravery, if you will, and ability to think what few had been willing or able to entertain makes him a top philosopher in my book. Considering the radical nature of his thought and his willingness to “think the abyss” Nietzsche is the gem hidden in the sand. Excellent pick.
Ludwig Wittgenstein: Dry, not very inspiring, but arguably one of the smartest humans ever. Excellent pick.
Immanuel Kant: an amazing thinker. Kant’s philosophy fundamentally changed the course of western philosophy. Interestingly, his actual theory was accepted by no one, but the issues he exposed in the tradition itself continue to influence Phenomenology, Pragmatism, Embodiment and even Analytical philosophy. Kant’s philosophy is dense, difficult to follow, and sometimes down right boring. But his mind and range of thought is almost unmatched in the modern world. Excellent pick.
Aristotle: While I like Aristotle, a close examination of his philosophy shows he really is just a reflection of Plato. Granted, he believed we had to learn the forms rather than being born with them but when push comes to shove; he simply restates most of Plato’s central doctrines. He did develop syllogistic logic and showed the importance of empirical learning, but again, what we learn is exactly what Plato said we always already know. Solid thinker and an excellent pick.
St Thomas Aquinas: another brave philosopher. I almost put Aquinas above Aristotle, but in truth, without Aristotle Aquinas would not have had a job. The manner in which Aquinas argues for the unity of Reason and Faith is laudable, even if extremely problematic. Nevertheless, he awoke a love for Aristotle in the west that had been forgotten for too long, and on that alone Aquinas deserves to be ranked with the best. Solid pick.
Rene Descartes: Descartes rounds out the top philosophers taken in the draft. Another thinker with whom I find little to agree with, but one who helped frame modern philosophy. Similar to Kant, the whole of western thought had to deal with Descartes’ questions. His desire to provide humanity with a method for determining “clear and distinct” ideas in the face of the then still dominate Scholasticism is enough to bump Descartes into the group of elite thinkers. Solid Pick.
*Everyone from here down could be arranged in a variety of orders. Some were more influential than others, some we know very little about and the degree to which we attribute ideas to them remains extremely problematic.
Voltaire: Voltaire was cutting edge, fought for the people, and reflected what would become the dominate mode of humanism in Europe. There is no denying Voltaire’s influence on European thought. That being said, he was not the best philosopher, and in fact, represents what would become the field of sociology more so than philosophy. Again, I personally like Voltaire’s work, but as a philosopher he is subpar at best. Good pick.
Confucius: another immensely influential thinker. It is hard to argue against the claim that Confucius had influenced more people than any other philosopher in the world. China continues to follow his ideals, at least in form, to this day. Hard to not take that into account, however, he was taken as a philosopher and on that note he is falls a bit. In fact, I would argue Zhuangzi (a Taoist) is best philosopher China has ever produced. What makes him so is his reaction to Confucianism, which he pushes into deeper and more philosophically interesting directions. So Confucius played a role, but the real philosophical work was done by those that responded to his somewhat dogmatic approach to being. Good pick.
Karl Marx: I love Marx, but again as a philosopher he is a bit too focused on social issues. Personally, I think Marx’s account of the different schools of thought with respect to social organization is the best ever. His take on communism, socialism, and capitalism seems almost dead on. He saw the problems with all of them and argued, even if often misquoted and misunderstood, for something of a blending of all three. Interestingly, that seems to be exactly where politics is headed. Off the charts great political/social thinker, so-so as a philosopher. Solid pick.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau: I have a love-hate relationship with Rousseau. He was hugely influential in pedagogical theory, which is where I come across his ideas the most, but his philosophical take that grounds his views is weak at best, and severely lacks critical reflection at worst. Rousseau had issues, and they are clearly reflected in his works. That being said, Rousseau was still brave enough to go public with views no one really wanted to hear and on that note he was solid. Just because you think everyone is out to get you, doesn’t mean they are not; insider for Rousseau enthusiasts. Good pick.
Ralph Waldo Emerson: Another thinker I love, but another philosopher that was so-so at best. Emerson did get “better” after his son died, which is a ####ty way get snapped out of a dogma but what are you going to do, but he never really got over his absolute optimism. Emerson really believed that we could do no wrong, and while I love this position, he never explained the philosophical workings necessary to hold such a position. This makes him a great writer, huge influence on touchy feel good movements, and an overall solid American but not the best philosopher. Good pick.
These will be explained shortly. They are ranked in order.
Jeremy Bentham
Blaise Pascal
Democritus
Epicurus
Hypatia
Socrates
King Solomon
Wait - what?At any rate, here's what I got for ya, Sweeney.
Also, do you come back tomorrow?
Actually I wasn't laughing at him, just the predictable nature of the response.Yankee v. Wikkid was a classic idealogical battle.Good to have you back, we could have used a little more sardonic wit in this one.
Second, I think the rankings are remarkably consistent, given Unc's criteria. Frank above Miles bugs me, but it's not a big deal. Also, the reactions so far are hilarious.
