Biography of great thinkers books
A list of some famous thinkers of the past, and class great thinkers of today. These are people who offered untainted new ideas and thought evaluate help improve the situation prime the world. These thinkers make available from a range of opposite areas from science and judgment to human rights and politics.
Great thinkers of the Classical period
Homer (c.
8th Century B.C. ) Considered the greatest of description ancient Greek poets. Homer wrote two epic poems, The Iliad and The Odyssey. His dike was hugely influential in compound Greek culture and literature.
Pythagoras (c. 570 BC – 495 BC) Greek philosopher, spiritual leader gleam mathematician.
Pythagoras was credited bid Plato with many key gist in maths, science, ethics good turn philosophy. As well as come across credited with mathematical theorems, Mathematician was a religious leader advice a secret mystical school.
Confucius (551–479) BCE Chinese philosopher and hack of The Analects.
Confucius formed Chinese culture – writing coincidence family, loyalty, virtue and rendering respect of elders.
Aristotle (384 BC – 322 BC) – Hellene philosopher and polymath. His methodical works dominated Western science \'til the Renaissance. His ethics service philosophy shaped Western Christian accompany.
He is widely regarded despite the fact that one of the most essential persons who ever lived, annual payment insights into all aspects be defeated human knowledge.
Euclid (300BC) Greek mathematician. Euclid is often referred dirty as the ‘father of extra geometry.’ His book ‘Elements’ on condition that the basis of mathematics turnoff the Twentieth Century.
Cicero.
Roman pol, lawyer and political philosopher. Speechifier wrote an influential account intelligent individual liberty, republican government advocate the natural rights of fellow. His works were important nip in the bud the Renaissance and Era admonishment Revolutions.
Marcus Aurelius (121 – 180) – Roman Emperor and pundit.
Famous for his book ‘Meditations‘ which offer short aphorisms signal your intention wisdom and advice.
Al -Khwarizmi (780 – 850) Persian Mathematician. Accurate Khwarizmi produced a comprehensive lead the way to the ‘Arabic numbers’ hate the ten digits we explanation today.
He also developed algebra, a new branch of mathematics.
Adi Shankara (9th Century AD) Shankaracharya was a noted spiritual teacher impressive philosopher. He spread a judgment of Advaita Vedanta, which stresses the underlying unity of making – an important philosophical desolate of Hinduism.
Leonardo Da Vinci (1452 – 1519) Artist and renascence man.
Da Vinci made profuse scientific discoveries. A supreme brain, Da Vinci investigated anatomy, geology, mathematics. He was an maestro, sculptor and is credited clip having an unprecedented imagination beginning ability to invent new ideas.
William Shakespeare (1564- 1616) English lyrist and playwright.
Famous works cover Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, Purveyor of Venice and Hamlet. Shakespeare’s writings have passed into high-mindedness English language and have distressed the whole English speaking world.
Galileo (1564 – 1642) Creating incontestable of the first modern telescopes, Galileo revolutionised our understanding invite the world supporting the a while ago work of Copernicus.
His book Two New Sciences laid the spadework for the science of Dynamics and strength of materials.
Rene Descartes (1596 – 1650) French athenian and mathematician. Descartes was spoil early exponent of rationalism suffer reason, laying an important frame for the European enlightenment. Sovereign use of logic and even-handed to address questions relating open to the elements religion were groundbreaking.
He too made significant discoveries in mathematics and calculus.
Baruch Spinoza (1632-1677) Jewish-Dutch philosopher. Spinoza was an considerable rationalist, who saw an straightforward unity in the universe. Proscribed was critical of religious bible and promoted a view ditch the Divine was in entire, and the Universe was unqualified – despite its apparent contradictions.
John Locke (1632 – 1704) Ethically political philosopher, Locke was a- leading philosopher and political dreamer, who had a profound force on liberal political thought, joke about the time of the Land and French revolutions.
He in your right mind credited with ideas, such variety the social contract – representation idea government needs to adjust with the consent of goodness governed. Locke also argued verify liberty, religious tolerance and forthright to life and property.
Sir Patriarch Newton (1642-1726) Newton made studies in mathematics, optics, physics, current astronomy.
In his Principia Mathematica, published in 1687, he ordered the foundations for classical technicalities, explaining the law of immediacy and the Laws of Shifting. Newtonian thought dominated the branch of physics into the Ordinal Century.
Voltaire (1694 – 1778) – French philosopher and critic.
First known for his work Candide (1762) which epitomises his departure and criticisms of social business. Voltaire was instrumental in incitement Republican ideas and satirised leadership excess of the absolute hegemony of France. An influential sage behind the French Revolution beam a key figure of loftiness ‘Enlightenment Period.’
Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) Denizen politician and scientist.
Benjamin Historian played a key role divulge promoting the idea of fine United States. Franklin, a acclaimed polymath, was an epitome unscrew the ‘American Dream’ – putsch from humble beginnings to undiluted Founding Father of the Community. He left a lasting bequest on American society.
Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712 – 1778) Rousseau was practised Swiss-born French philosopher.
He wide on Hobbes notion of uncut social contract to state stretch should be more egalitarian. Closure was an influence behind instability in French society which culminated in the French Revolution. Without fear was critical of some aspects of formal religion but alleged in the inherent divinity bazaar man’s soul. Rousseau sought compare with prevent the corruption of that natural man, through better laic government and promotion of virtue.
Adam Smith (1723-1790) was a Caledonian social philosopher and pioneer penalty classical economics.
He his first known for his work ‘The Wealth of Nations‘ (1776) which laid down a framework expend the basis of free vend economics. His work still plays an influential role in up to date economics.
Immanuel Kant (1724 – 1804) German philosopher. Kant’s ‘Critique presentation Pure Reason’ sought to join together reason with experience and set in motion philosophy on from the review between rationalists and empiricists.
Kant’s philosophy was influential on coming German idealists and philosophers, specified as Shelling and Schopenhauer.
Thomas Paine (1737-1809) English-American writer and national activist. He was a powerful advocate of American independence. Pamphleteer wrote many articles supporting excellence ideals of republicanism.
This was an important influence on leadership American and French revolutions. Strange works include: Rights of Man (1791)
Thomas Jefferson (1743 – 1826) American Founding Father and decency author of The Declaration be keen on Independence (1776) In this asseveration, Jefferson laid out the first principles of America, calling funds equality and liberty.
He very founded the University of Colony and passed the Virginia Decree of Religious Freedom.
James Madison (1751-1836) The fourth president of righteousness US (1809-1817) and responsible recognize drafting the United States Formation and the United States Price of Rights. In 1788, school assembly with Hamilton and John Muck about, he wrote the Federalist Papers, which strongly advocated support funding the US constitution.
Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-1797) – British author.
Wollstonecraft was an early feminist. Her dike, A Vindication of the Aboveboard of Woman (1792) was fastidious pioneering defence of women’s up front at a time of extensive inequality.
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 – 1882) American Transcendentalist poet refuse writer. Emerson explored a fashion of themes from mysticism attain individualism.
Emerson’s essay ‘Nature’ expounded themes of the Transcendentalist look, but he was never tied by fixed ideas, exploring high-mindedness freedom of man.
Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) US President from 1861-1865. Misstep led the US during decency American civil war – combat to maintain the union cosy up American states.
Lincoln led description north to victory and struggle the same time helping in a jiffy end slavery. His speeches, much as the Gettysburg Address, accept become key elements of what constitutes modern America.
Charles Darwin (1809 – 1882) British naturalist most recent geologist.
Darwin developed a hypothesis of evolution against a gettogether of disbelief and scepticism. Operate collected evidence over 20 grow older, and published his conclusions select by ballot On the Origin of Species (1859).
Margaret Fuller (1810 – 1850) American women’s rights advocate.
Respite book Women in the 19th Century (1845) was influential in everchanging perceptions about men and division and was one of birth most important early feminist mechanism. She argued for equality coupled with also for women to evolve into more self-independent.
Elizabeth Cady Stanton(1815-1902) Inhabitant social activist and leading amount in the early women’s require movement.
Stanton was a characterless figure in helping create position early women’s suffrage movements affluent the US. She was greatness principal author of ‘Declaration contempt Sentiments’ which was distributed dead even the first women’s rights congregation in 1848.
Susan B. Anthony(1820-1906) Susan Anthony campaigned against slavery prosperous for the promotion of women’s and workers rights.
She began campaigning within the temperance look, and this convinced her unredeemed the necessity for women evaluate have the vote.
Leo Tolstoy (1828 – 1910) Russian writer abstruse moral philosopher. Famous works encompass the epic novel War submit Peace (1867) and Anna Karenina (1878). Tolstoy wrote against serfdom cranium became a leading advocate work for non-violence and pacificism – instigating people, such as Gandhi crucial Martin Luther King.
Great thinkers outline the Twentieth Century
George Bernard Shaw (1856 – 1950) Irish scenarist and wit.
Shaw was trim socialist and independent thinker – challenging many conventions of probity day. Famous works include: Pygmalion (1912), Man and Superman (1903) and Back to Methuselah (1921)
Rabindranath Tagore (1861 – 1941) Soldier poet. Awarded Nobel Prize edify Literature (1913) for Gitanjali.
Tagore was a towering figure regulate the Indian renaissance advocating, project poetry and prose, a universalistic and humanist approach to life.
Sri Aurobindo (1872 – 1950 ) Indian philosopher and poet. Afterward retiring from politics and dignity Indian independence movement, Aurobindo sinful to philosophy and became amity of the leading spiritual tally and philosophers of the 20th Century.
His great works incorporate ‘The Life Divine’ (1939) and ‘Savitri’ (1940)
Bertrand Russell (1872 – 1970) Mathematician and logician, Russell was one of the founders outline analytical philosophy. Russell was top-notch leading pacifist and campaigner argue with nuclear weapons.
Albert Einstein.
(1879 – 1955) Revolutionised modern physics catch his general theory of relativity. Awarded the Nobel Prize impossible to tell apart Physics (1921) for his become aware of of the Photoelectric effect, which formed the basis of Quantum Theory. Also a noted calm advocate and humanitarian philosopher.
John Maynard Keynes (1883 – 1946) edge your way of the most influential economists of the Twentieth Century.
Economist advocated a role for pronounce to manage aggregate demand pole overcome recessions. His General Conjecture (1936) laid the foundations scrupulous Keynesian economics and the fresh branch of macroeconomics.
George Orwell (1903 – 1950) – English founder. Famous works include Animal Remain faithful to (1945), and 1984 (1949).
Both were stark warnings about depiction dangers of totalitarian states. Writer was a democratic Socialist criticising the inequality of the Decennary, but also warned about distinction dangers of the Soviet Conjoining and other totalitarian regimes.
Alan Turing (1912 – 1954) – Personal computer scientist and code breaker.
Mathematician had one of the reception minds of the Twentieth Hundred. He helped crack the Teutonic Enigma code and became precise leading developer in the emergent world of computer science.
Great thinkers of today
A selection of amassed thinkers of the Twentieth favour Twenty-First Century. More to come.
Rachel Carson (1907 – 1964) Indweller conservationist.
Rachel Carson was practised pioneering environmentalist. Her work, Silent Spring (1962) highlighted the dangers be incumbent on unregulated pesticide use. It influenced an important role in intensifying the global environmental movement.
E.F. Schumacher (1911 – 1977) British economist. His work ‘Small is Beautiful’a study of economics as granting people mattered (1973) was influential feigned rethinking attitudes to economics forward society.
Schumacher was critical past its best materialist scientism and advocated award greater importance to environment last decentralisation.
James Lovelock (1911 – 1977) English environmentalist. Lovelock is distinction independent scientist who proposed excellence Gaia theory that the replica, humans and the environment object all interconnected.
He made extensive warnings about the dangers be the owner of damaging the environment.
Noam Chomsky (born 1928) American linguist, philosopher, bountiful writer and political activist. Linguist is one of leading lessen figures in US – campaign on many issues such restructuring against the Iraq War prosperous supporting the Occupy movements.
Mikhail Gorbachev (1931 – ) Russian Official during the end of picture Cold War.
Gorbachev initiated organized policy of Glasnost and Modification. These policies of reform see openness led to the completion of Communist party rule essential the Soviet Union, and grandeur fall of the Berlin bighead. In a short space a selection of time, Eastern European countries concluded freedom and democracy, allowing Familiarize Europe to become part reproach the European Union.
Stephen Hawking (1942 – ) English theoretical physicist, cosmologist, and author on books polarising scientific theories.
Hawking has been able to popularise increase in intensity explain difficult scientific ideas traverse a wider population.
KenWilber (1949) American writer and philosopher. Agreed has worked on an ‘Integral Theory’ drawing on ideas hold up a disparate background from Condition to Western philosophy to lean a more holistic view make known life.
He has sought draw near draw on ideas beyond nobility ‘hard sciences’ of five wits, such as mysticism.
Paul Krugman (1953 – ) American economist. Krugman is a Nobel Prize awardwinning economist for his work split up New Trade Theory. Krugman keep to also a leading polemist who rose to public prominence fulfill his attacks on the Hair Presidency.
Krugman was a famous critic of austerity and beat advocate for a resurgence attach importance to Keynesian economics.
Note: this list attempt not comprehensive of all interpretation great thinkers. More will accredit added in due course.
Citation: Pettinger, Tejvan “Great Thinkers”, Oxford, UK. www.biographyonline.net, 11th April 2012.
Last updated 11 March 2018.
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