Who is the greatest living philosopher?

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In summary: Ronald ReaganI think we can all agree that there are many great philosophers living among us, each with their own unique and valuable contributions to the field. Some suggestions include Lewis, Davidson, Arne Næss, Putnam, Rorty, Jennifer Lopez, 2pac, Tom Regan, Marilyn Savant, Socrates, Nozick, Churchland, Roger Penrose, and Peter Sloterdijk. However, we must also remember that greatness is subjective and cannot be determined by book sales or popularity. Each philosopher has their own strengths and impact on individuals and society, making it difficult to crown one as the greatest. Instead, we should appreciate and learn from the diverse perspectives and ideas of these living philosophers.
  • #1
Inquisitor
3
0
Who is the greatest living philosopher? Why?
 
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  • #2
ME!

humbly,
olde drunk
 
  • #3
Me too! In fact, I may be just smart enough to realize that I'm too ignorant to understand my own ignorance...maybe not...but I think it's unlikely to be whoever is selling the most books- knowledge is cheap understanding is priceless.
 
  • #4
Probably Lewis, with the fairly recent passing of Davidson.
 
  • #5
Our own norwegian Arne Næss of course.. sheesh.
 
  • #6
Probably Putnam. He has been a leading figure in more than one philosophical movement. If Davidson didn't die last year he would have gotten my vote. The most famous living philosopher probably would be Rorty.
 
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  • #7
I would say Jennifer Lopez, with her pioneering fashion philosophy.
 
  • #8
it is myself
 
  • #9
What are you asking? Do you want to know, of the living philosophers, which is greates?

Or, do you want to know, of philosophers, which is the greatest at living?

That second one would be pretty hard to answer. I mean, you'd need to know their habits, hobbies lifestyles.


:wink:
Njorl
 
  • #10
Njorl said:
What are you asking? Do you want to know, of the living philosophers, which is greates?

Or, do you want to know, of philosophers, which is the greatest at living?

That second one would be pretty hard to answer. I mean, you'd need to know their habits, hobbies lifestyles.


:wink:
Njorl

Lol ... deserves to go into the 'Jokes' thread :wink:
 
  • #11
If someone's going to mention snoop, I will Have to say 2pac ... no-one compares to him.
 
  • #12
Shoot! ... in my little world he's still alive ... lol .. I'd forgotten he's dead while I posted the above (listening to the 'Until the End of Time' remix of course :D)
 
  • #13
I am the greatest and that is why the admins here lock every thread I start
 
  • #14
olde drunk said:
ME!

humbly,
olde drunk

You lie! Do not try to usurp my position!

Anyway, that post has the highest irony density ever.

I can't say who the second best, but Tom Regan is pretty good.
 
  • #15
Well, fellows, here are a lot of interesting suggestions. Jennifer Lopez was a good one... liked that.

I have a candidate, but I assume this discussion might be over once I have revealed who it is. Shall I?
 
  • #16
published? i'd say lewis. otherwise, myself (i'm too stubborn to listen to anyone else).

salamander, go ahead. but, PLEASE, no reigious hero that may have been misrepresented, misquoted or misunderstood.

love and peace,
olde drunk
 
  • #17
Okay:

HOMER SIMPSON

would anyone agree?
 
  • #18
Given Homer's broad exposure I agree he is among the greats but surely not the greatest.
 
  • #19
well we have to pick someone, why not homer?
 
  • #20
On second thought I don't think it's me despite my aptitude for self inflicted confusion, although I'm not very familiar with all today's philosophers and so biased, the one that has the most positive influence on me is Marilyn Savant, reason being playing chess for a few months can boost a person's IQ by 5 points(if they enjoy it), but then if you take a lot of the fundamental aspects of intelligence and put them into a book of practical everyday methods one might get 15 points or more out of it in a few months or more importantly start a lifelong love of intellectual pursuits, and then if you combine that with inspiring people to get some mental exercise you might get 10k to 100k people to try it, so that's about 500k additional IQ points added to humanity, essentially what Einstein tried to do was inspire people but he didn't understand IQ very well but he did inspire although hardly with direction...Not that IQ alone is going to make the world a wonderful place, but if the world is a reflection of everyone's combined understandings and lack of then her affects are far more beneficially pervasive than General Relativity in the long run and the main factors to great works I suspect are pervasiveness and beneficiality to humanity... Socrates had similar affects and was terribly mysterious, it's probably a lot more important to provoke or inspire people into thinking for themselves than hand them the great book of dry knowledge to memorize that seems to do more harm than good but it's a lot easier.
 
  • #21
I would say Nozick or Churchland.
*Nico
 
  • #22
Hey olde drunk,

I have to disagree with you.

I taught you everything I know and you still don't know nothing!
 
  • #23
force5 said:
Hey olde drunk,

I have to disagree with you.

I taught you everything I know and you still don't know nothing!
sadly, with tears falling, i must agree!

what do we know? ---------- nuttin!

love&peace,
olde drunk
 
  • #24
Roger Penrose

because His Book << The Emporer's New Mind >>
 
  • #25
sciart said:
Roger Penrose

because His Book << The Emporer's New Mind >>

Penrose made a gigantic error in failing to realize the obvious possibility that individual human beings each have their own Godel sentences.
 
  • #27
And Ronald Reagan of course, especially when he philosophizes at his best: "Facts are stupid things."
 

What is philosophy?

Philosophy is the study of fundamental questions about existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. It seeks to understand the nature of reality and the meaning of life.

Who is considered a philosopher?

A philosopher is someone who engages in critical thinking and rational inquiry to explore fundamental questions about existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Anyone can be a philosopher, regardless of their profession or background.

What makes a philosopher "great"?

The concept of greatness in philosophy is subjective and can vary from person to person. Some may consider a philosopher great based on their contributions to the field, while others may look at their impact on society or their ability to challenge conventional thinking.

Who is considered the greatest living philosopher?

This is a highly debated question and there is no one definitive answer. Some may argue that it is someone like Noam Chomsky, who has made significant contributions to linguistics and political philosophy. Others may argue for someone like Martha Nussbaum, who has made significant contributions to ethics and political theory.

How do philosophers contribute to society?

Philosophers contribute to society by critically examining and challenging ideas, beliefs, and values that shape our understanding of the world. They also provide insights and perspectives on important social and ethical issues, and offer potential solutions to complex problems.

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