Who Are The Best Philosophers? Why?

Give your personal favorite philosophers. Why are they?

Philosophy is one of those fields where it can turn into absolute shit, or work of brilliance.

 

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Nietzsche had flashes of insight but I don't think he took his arguments to their rightful conclusions. Kierkegaard was a fool; Kant is insufferable with his claims to universalism (utter bullshit). Plato is a good writer but I doubt the man of the West is able to understand his Apollinian soul. David Hume is good and I most identify with him; he did a good job given his ignorance of scientific results.

Systematic philosophy and its high falutin claims bore me.

 

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Western:

Socrates/Plato: For his brilliant style of argument, the importance of truth and not "ego" as the purpose of philosophy, the great literary value of the dialogues, and the sheer bredth of topics. Also, the argument for the existence of knowledge and true in the "Meno" is one of the most brilliant proofs ever offered in the history of philosophy.

Aristotle: The man who realized two of the most important laws - if not THE most important laws - in existence: Of Non-Contradiction (explicitly) and the Law of Identity (semi-explicitly). Also, his Nicomachean Ethics are quite good.

Marcus Aurelius: Never has a more virtuous leader ruled a nation. His "Meditations" is profoundly inspirational.

St. Thomas Aquinas: The man who put new breath into philosophy and finally gave the Catholic Church some respect for it.

Renee Descartes: Cogito ergo sum is one of the greatest arguments - on par with Plato and Aristotle - in the history of philosophy.

Eastern:

Confucius: The supreme ethicist of the Oriental tradition and one of the greatest of all time.

 

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Nietzsche was only a good ethicist in his refutation of slave morality. He was a horrible metaphysician and epistemologist. I mean, absolutely terrible.

 

Indian philosophy is derived from several philosophers.

There are six major schools of Indian philosophy:

1. Yoga- The systematic witnessing of ones inner states, also called direct experience. It involves the practical application of several sutras (positions) to immerse yourself into the center of consciousness

2. Sankhya - the levels of manifestation.

3. Vedanta - inquiry into the self, that which is not subject to death decay or decomposition.

4.Vaisheshika - physical sciences. It includes exploring the elements of earth, water, fire, air and space, as well as time, mind and soul.

5. Nyaya - logic, reasoning, doubt and enquiry

6. Mimasa - Ethical conduct or freedom through action. It was the basis for the concept of karma.

 

Indian philosophy is a very rich and excellent tradition.

 

What does Indian philosophy have to do with who she thinks are the best philosophers?

 

I know only some of the individual philosophers:

Gautama who established Nyaya

Jamini- Mimasa

Prahastapada - Vaisheshika

Vedanta philosophy is best embodied in the Upanishads.

 

So far, no one has said much of anything re the OP, and only made claims that some of the most well know philosophers in history were idiots (as opposed to themselves apparently, having the "correct" philosophy). I agree with southstar. Lofty, self-serving bs artists. And boring.

 

Sam makes nice lists. Why are they any good?

 

Ok. This is great. He has no doubts that he exists. This cannot be argued. But I have doubts the he exists as anything other than a simulacrum in my neural nets. What good is it?

 

Gautama established the Nyaya school of philosophy.

It is equivalent to Western analytical philosophy.

According to Gautama, there are four sources of knowledge: perception, inference, comparison and testimony. The knowledge from these sources may be valid or invalid. So there are further, several criteria for evaluating the validity of these four sources.

The Vaisheshika school of thought is based on the principle that all objects in the physical universe can be reduced to certain types of atoms and there is a Brahman or universal consciousness, that creates force in these atoms.

The Mimasa school believes that enlightenment (or knowledge) is the only way to remove suffering.

The Vedanta school is focused on knowledge centered self realisation that there is a continuity in the consciousness of the universe.

 

No, no, no, no, no!

Not WHAT! WHY??? All of what you just posted is WHAT these various schools of thought propose. Many are surely completely wrong. How do you know? WHY are any of these useful or worth anything at all?

 

Umm because they are the basis on which all thought has developed, including scientific reasoning?

 

Ok then. Maybe we're getting somewhere now.

 

Aristotle I would have to say.

 

Superluminal;
was your previous post on this thread a joke?
it was funny

 

The problem with the vedas is that there is so much to take in
http://www.bhagavata.org/bn/avadhuta/

therefore Jiva Gosvami stands out as remarkable
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiva_Gosvami

because his sat sandarbhas enable the comprehension of the entire vedas
http://bhagavata.net/avadhuta/files/Devotion - shastras/Goswamis/Jiva Gosvami/Sandarbhas/

 

Tell me this

I'm an atheist, BUT what do you define as a philosopher? Jesus Christ had alot of teachings that promoted peace and love. Is he not counted?

I think anyone who teaches tollerance should be seen as important. No?

 

No. He didn't deal with any issue from a point of reason, but of faith.

And tolerance is only worth so much.