Favorite Philosopher

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In summary, the conversation discusses various philosophers and their ideas, with David Hume being mentioned as a top favorite. Other philosophers mentioned include Kierkegaard, Immanuel Kant, Ludwig Wittgenstein, CS Peirce, Confucius, Lao Tzu, Gautama Buddha, Jeff Bridges, Marcus Aurelius, Poor Richard, Nietzche, Epiceticus, Locke, Voltaire, and more. The conversation also delves into the definition of a philosopher and the influence of various philosophers on the participants.
  • #1
jduster
2
0
My top favorite is David Hume.

Who are your favorite philosophers?
 
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  • #2
Kierkegaard is tops, IMO.
 
  • #3
I try to select the best philosopher in my autograph
 
  • #4
Immanuel Kant and Ludwig Wittgenstein are the greatest philosophers of all time!
 
  • #5
The young Wittgenstein (Tractatus), but I think he went "off the rails" late in life (On Certainty). I also like CS Peirce.
 
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  • #6
i'm not big on philosophy. but if someone has a good idea, i'll steal it, no matter who they are.
 
  • #7
Confucius and Lao Tzu

/thread
 
  • #10
Jeff Bridges. The Dude abides.
 
  • #11
Math Is Hard said:
Jeff Bridges. The Dude abides.
Can I have his rug? I'll even blow-dry the bimbo's toenails...
 
  • #12
Its hard to pick a favorite. I like Marcus Aurelious, Poor Richard :), Nietzche, Epiceticus, Locke, Voltaire among others. Due to turbos prodding Kierkegaard will be the next one I read.
 
  • #13
jduster said:
My top favorite is David Hume.

Who are your favorite philosophers?
My favorite philosopher is a dead philosopher too. I've been looking for someone who knows a thing or two about Hume. In A Treatise of Human Nature, what was meant when he or she said, "Reason is, and ought only to be the slave of the passions, and can never pretend to any other office than to serve and obey them"?
 
  • #14
I'm a great fan of the Greeks.. Atrisotle, Plato, Diogenes, above all Socrates... and of cours the noble Testikles. :smile:

Oh, and: Eisenhowser, Kissinger, Rabbi Hillel, Sun Tzu, Voltaire, Kurt Vonnegut, Hunter S. Thompson, H.G. Wells, Phillip K. Dick... and many more.

I hate favorites... :grumpy:

edit: I'd add: Basho, and a number of other Haiku masters long dead.

"Sick on my journey,
Only my dreams will wander,
These desolate moors." (Basho's jisei no ku 'Death Poem')

So many more... often authors, generals, people like Ghandi... not professional 'philosophers'. Leonardo DaVinci for instance...
 
  • #15
Immanuel Kant, Socrates, Plato, Spinoza, and Seneca.
 
  • #16
Spinoza... that is a great one.


I think I'd add: Einstein, and Richard Feynman.
 
  • #17
You should read Seneca: Letter's from a Stoic, although most of his letters were lost he was extremely influential in Nero's rise to power in the Roman Empire and for a lot of the policies he created. Inevitably he was forced to commit suicide. He's very interesting.
 
  • #18
Kevin_Axion said:
You should read Seneca:Letter's from a Stoic, although most of his letter were lost he was extremely influential in Nero's rise to power in the Roman Empire and for a lot of the policies he created. Inevitably he was forced to commit suicide. He's very interesting.

I'm familiar with Seneca, but I haven't read him for... too long. I'll do that, and refresh that... philosophy is basically a "re-read" subject IMO.

Socrates and Seneca... brave men.
 
  • #19
Yep, they were brave but Socrates could have escaped but chose to die, I'm not sure about Seneca.
 
  • #20
Kevin_Axion said:
Yep, they were brave but Socrates could have escaped but chose to die, I'm not sure about Seneca.

True... still... oh hell, I forget the names and the event... a number of Japanese warriors were essentially forced to commit suicide. Still... to do that takes a measure of bravery to not just break and run.

Socrates... was unique.
 
  • #21
Yes, but the Romans... he would have died anyways :P.
 
  • #22
Kevin_Axion said:
Yes, but the Romans... he would have died anyways :P.

Heh... the Romans were very... effective; well, for a time at least.
 
  • #23
machiavelli, temujin, samuel clemens, virginia reed, magua, my old h.s. band director, vonnegut, heyzeus the nazarene.
 
  • #24
Clemens eh? If Einstein and Clemens had a lovechild it would be Edvard Grieg.
 
  • #25
i had to google it, but that's hilarious!
 
  • #26
Noam Chomsky, nismaratwork, Leo Buscaglia.
 
  • #27
My son. He raises questions and issue about which I doubt few philosophers ever have.
 
  • #28
Plato, and Socrates in Plato's 'Apology' , Camus, Sartre, Nietzsche

I haven't read much of Hume and Spinoza, but I'll include them as well.
 
  • #29
Jimmy Snyder said:
My favorite philosopher is a dead philosopher too. I've been looking for someone who knows a thing or two about Hume. In A Treatise of Human Nature, what was meant when he or she said, "Reason is, and ought only to be the slave of the passions, and can never pretend to any other office than to serve and obey them"?

I am going to take this as a request to re-open the thread in the Philosophy forum that you asked to have closed.
 
  • #30
Math Is Hard said:
I am going to take this as a request to re-open the thread in the Philosophy forum that you asked to have closed.
Have at it. However, I think you will find that the older thread, which is in the philosophy forum, violates the spirit if not the letter of the new rules for posting. That thread was intended as a joke as was my post in this thread. This thread is not in the philosophy forum and isn't subject to its rules.
 
  • #31
Lacy33 said:
Noam Chomsky, nismaratwork, Leo Buscaglia.
I'm not sure I'd call Noam Chomsky a philosopher. But I do admire his scholarship and perserverance and have learned much from him. Ditto nismaratwork. Also Apeiron, kote, StatutoryApe (I hope I got that right) and 'many' others, whose usernames I don't recall, certainly many of the mentors and science advisors, here at PF.

As for Leo Buscaglia. I saw/heard him speak about 40 years ago. All I remember is that he hugged a lot of people at the end of his talk.

Richard von Mises was influential in my early thinking.
 
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  • #32
Andre said:
I try to select the best philosopher in my autograph

Absolutely. It is my belief that Russell's greatness is not yet fully appreciated; we are still too close to him in time.

Queen Victoria once said, "When I have dinner with Mr Gladstone, I feel as if I have spent an evening with the cleverest man in England. But when I have dinner with Mr Disraeli, he makes me feel as if he has just spent an evening with the cleverest woman in England".

Like Disraeli, Russell has the gift of making the reader feel that she or he is as clever as himself. He speaks to you as an equal. No other philosopher in history can match the lucidity of his writing style, his intellectual assurance, and his gifts for communicating the essence of a complicated idea in terms a person of ordinary education can understand.

And (like most of the Pommie Empiricist philosophers), he is not afraid to crack a joke once in a while, and he takes neither himself nor his subject too seriously.

Which is more than you can say for the Existentialists. Kierkegaard? Sartre? Can't understand a damn word they are saying, most of the time.
 
  • #33
My personal favorite would be Bertrand Russell.
 
  • #34
RichardParker said:
My personal favorite would be Bertrand Russell.
Yes, he was a special person as well as a great thinker and communicator.
 
  • #35
Alan1000 said:
... Russell has the gift of making the reader feel that she or he is as clever as himself. He speaks to you as an equal. No other philosopher in history can match the lucidity of his writing style, his intellectual assurance, and his gifts for communicating the essence of a complicated idea in terms a person of ordinary education can understand.

And (like most of the Pommie Empiricist philosophers), he is not afraid to crack a joke once in a while, and he takes neither himself nor his subject too seriously.
Russell was, and will remain, imo, unique and special. He was, imo, a truly wise man. Someone whose lead I would be most willing to follow.

Alan1000 said:
Which is more than you can say for the Existentialists. Kierkegaard? Sartre? Can't understand a damn word they are saying, most of the time.
Me too. So, I didn't bother reading most of it. I think it's just some sort of literary angst, more or less. Not wisdom, or even clever. Just a bunch of whiners.
 
<h2>1. Who is your favorite philosopher?</h2><p>As a scientist, I don't have a favorite philosopher. My work is focused on empirical evidence and data, rather than philosophical theories or ideas.</p><h2>2. What is the role of philosophy in science?</h2><p>Philosophy plays an important role in science by providing a framework for understanding and interpreting scientific theories and discoveries. It also helps scientists to critically examine their own assumptions and biases.</p><h2>3. Do scientists have to study philosophy?</h2><p>No, studying philosophy is not a requirement for being a scientist. However, having a basic understanding of philosophical concepts can be beneficial in the pursuit of scientific knowledge.</p><h2>4. How does philosophy influence scientific research?</h2><p>Philosophy can influence scientific research by shaping the questions that scientists ask and the methods they use to answer them. It can also impact the interpretation and application of scientific findings.</p><h2>5. Can science and philosophy coexist?</h2><p>Yes, science and philosophy can coexist and even complement each other. While science focuses on empirical evidence and objective truths, philosophy explores questions of meaning, ethics, and the nature of reality. Both disciplines have their own unique contributions to understanding the world around us.</p>

1. Who is your favorite philosopher?

As a scientist, I don't have a favorite philosopher. My work is focused on empirical evidence and data, rather than philosophical theories or ideas.

2. What is the role of philosophy in science?

Philosophy plays an important role in science by providing a framework for understanding and interpreting scientific theories and discoveries. It also helps scientists to critically examine their own assumptions and biases.

3. Do scientists have to study philosophy?

No, studying philosophy is not a requirement for being a scientist. However, having a basic understanding of philosophical concepts can be beneficial in the pursuit of scientific knowledge.

4. How does philosophy influence scientific research?

Philosophy can influence scientific research by shaping the questions that scientists ask and the methods they use to answer them. It can also impact the interpretation and application of scientific findings.

5. Can science and philosophy coexist?

Yes, science and philosophy can coexist and even complement each other. While science focuses on empirical evidence and objective truths, philosophy explores questions of meaning, ethics, and the nature of reality. Both disciplines have their own unique contributions to understanding the world around us.

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