Philosophers...

[lucyinthesky]

I voted Plato- but where the hell is Epikur? I read his works in my holidays; and its just amazing how much he found out about the nature of the universe only by thinking and observing. Besides, his way to live is the best I think: enjoy life, because you don't need to be afraid of death, with nature and respect to other people! Much smarter than hedonists!

Oops...it seems I m a greek philosopher name dropper!

[Charles J. White]

Ayn Rand

[planted]

Epictetus

[Reverend Alabaster]

I think I do a pretty good job myself, but if I had to pick someone else I'd probably go for Michel Foucault.

I voted Nietzsche here, as the best available option - he speaks to my superiority complex, and we appear to have similar opinions about the Fairer Sex.

[Pagesbow]

This guy

[Cecil.]

No option for me after a few..... I

[St. Paw]

Why would you think that it would not be Socrates?

[DAS]

JOHN LOCKE

I was looking to see if anyone mentioned him. I don't believe he was the greatest philosopher ever but you can't have a thread like this without talking about Locke.

Also, who voted for Socrates? The man doesn't have a single volume that has survived. All of our knowledge about his philosophy comes from (mostly) fictional dialogues by Plato and Xenophanes.

[DAS]

Aristotle. Why? Because besides his works which were great in and of themselves he also educated Alexander the Great. Without the guidance of Aristotle Alexander wouldn't have accomplished what he did and the entire world would be vastly different than it is today.

[DAS]

Here is a question for the Nietzsche voters: How do you justify thinking the man who was responsible for the Holocaust, who personally went insane, is the GREATEST philosopher of all-time?

Personally I went with the man who influenced Alexander the Great to bring universal education and literacy to the world instead of one who influenced Hitler to kill every person on earth who was not an irreligious white Aryan.

[Charles J. White]

Robert Nozick

Ludwig Von Mises

Ayn Rand

[ScarletMacaw]

Here is a question for the Nietzsche voters: How do you justify thinking the man who was responsible for the Holocaust, who personally went insane, is the GREATEST philosopher of all-time?

Personally I went with the man who influenced Alexander the Great to bring universal education and literacy to the world instead of one who influenced Hitler to kill every person on earth who was not an irreligious white Aryan.

I also thought it was interesting people on a Led Zeppelin fanboard picked Nietsche, but I don't think you can blame him for the Holocaust. People tend to overestimate the impact of abstractions when it's fear that motivates most people.

[DAS]

I also thought it was interesting people on a Led Zeppelin fanboard picked Nietsche, but I don't think you can blame him for the Holocaust. People tend to overestimate the impact of abstractions when it's fear that motivates most people.

I don't consider Nietzsche morally responsible for the holocaust because he was not formally involved. However, his philosophy was a huge influence on Hitler and in fact where the whole idea of a "superman" came from that motivated his "ethnic cleansing."

[Bingo]

[The Queen of Light]

Personally I went with the man who influenced Alexander the Great to bring universal education and literacy to the world instead of one who influenced Hitler to kill every person on earth who was not an irreligious white Aryan.

Historically, the Nazis original objective was not to murder everyone who wasn't Aryan. Himmler learned Hebrew and believe it or not, the Nazis are partially responsible for the inception of the state of Israel.

[DAS]

Historically, the Nazis original objective was not to murder everyone who wasn't Aryan. Himmler learned Hebrew and believe it or not, the Nazis are partially responsible for the inception of the state of Israel.

No, but the idea to do so was inspired by Nietzsche. As for Israel, they were only indirectly responsible because of the evil they did. They didn't take any steps to give the land of Palestine to the Jews, it was an unintended consequence.

I never knew that Hitler learned Hebrew but it doesn't surprise me. He was an intelligent, cultured individual, albeit an evil one. If he only had a proficient system of ethics he would have been considered a great man in history. Instead, because he had the morality of a savage, he is considered (rightly) one of the most evil men to ever live.

[The Queen of Light]

No, but the idea to do so was inspired by Nietzsche. As for Israel, they were only indirectly responsible because of the evil they did. They didn't take any steps to give the land of Palestine to the Jews, it was an unintended consequence.

I never knew that Hitler learned Hebrew but it doesn't surprise me. He was an intelligent, cultured individual, albeit an evil one. If he only had a proficient system of ethics he would have been considered a great man in history. Instead, because he had the morality of a savage, he is considered (rightly) one of the most evil men to ever live.

Pardon me but you are incorrect. Firstly how would you expect GERMANY to 'give' the land of Palestine to the jews? Palestinians had a say once you know.

Secondly I said Himmler not Hitler

[DAS]

Pardon me but you are incorrect. Firstly how would you expect GERMANY to 'give' the land of Palestine to the jews? Palestinians had a say once you know.

Secondly I said Himmler not Hitler

Second part: I thought it was a type-o, my bad.

First part: WTH did you read?

[The Queen of Light]

Second part: I thought it was a type-o, my bad.

Uh...erm.

[Pagefan55]

Very few people even understand Kant. He was way ahead of his time. He got my vote.

Arguably the most brilliant philosopher of them all.

[geekfreak]

take out all you need, there are those whom won`t even find the time to seek out any the greatest mind this planet , as to offer... I`ll say this I`ve be studying this topic for over 30yrs and I`m still finding more teachings of the philosophers through the years, its a studying which I`ll possible never reach the end off...

[Pagefan55]

Hegel probably should have been one of the choices too.

[IpMan]

I love both Hobbes and Locke, especially the social contract theory. Plato though was my choice on this list due to the allegory of the cave. Kant was brilliant, just brilliant. Spinoza and his Ethica was both sublime and a hammer, the man pretty much was the spark which begat the Enlightenment.

Ayn Rand??? Really Chucky? You do know Ms. Individual, Ms. No Government Interference was on welfare at one point. Rand was the biggest fraud and hypocrite of them all, plus she was pretty much nuts. To mention Rand among great philosophers is like bringing up McDonalds during a discussion about French Cuisine. Hells bells man, if you wanted to go with a philosopher who was about the individual above all else you should have gone with Nietzsche, he may have been bat-shit crazy but at least he was a real philosopher who stuck to his guns until his last breath...after his encounter with a horse???

[Charles J. White]

I'm also well read on Ludwig von Mises and Robert Nozick, love those 2 plus Rand

[wanna be drummer]

Von Mises was brilliant. I prefer Rothbard.

Anywho, the best have already been named but I didn't see Albert Camus anywhere. He was a very interesting read.