Some have greatness thrust upon them...
Jun. 6th, 2005 09:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sawylThe BBC are have a vote in an attempt determine the greatest philosopher. While I'd like to vote, I'm troubled by a key issue: what characteristic makes a philosopher great? Is it greatness of reputation, greatness of influence, greatness of spirit, greatness of reason, greatness of poltical vision? I'm rather torn.
I could quite easily vote Aristotle the greatest philosopher of all time, on the basis of reputation and influence. Not only has he stood the test of time, but his influence on his successors, from Aquinas and the Scholastics, to Neo-Aristotleans like MacIntyre has been profound. Also, unlike Plato, his distinctly emprical attitude, his focus on the real world as opposed to the world of forms is definitely endearing.
But what about Immanuel Kant? The supreme rationist, the man how reconsiled Humean empiricism with Cartesian idealism, the man who rationalised the Categorical Imperative and who believed that morality came from within: "Two things fill the mind with ever new and increasing admiration and reverence, the more often and more steadily one reflects on them: the starry heavens above me and the moral law within me."
If we're talking about influence - he himself claimed not to be a philosopher - who else could I vote for other than Marx. Like him or loath him the man was, and to an extent still is, a colossos of modern political thought who's supposed disciples controlled huge swathes of the world.
I wonder if I could use the term greatest philosopher to include my two favourites, JS Mill and Bertrand Russell. Mill could be considered great for his work as one of the greatest Liberal thinkers of the last century, someone who's legacy includes an impressive record as champion of the rights of both humanity in general, women in particular, as well as his work on utilitarian ethics. While Russell is undeniably great - his work with AN Whitehead on Principia Mathematica uncovered problems with the expression of logical problems using simple Kantorian sets, his later contributions to moral philosophy and the history of philsophy resulted in a Nobel prize, he was a profound pascifist who went to prison for his views and he was a founder member of CDN - but is he the greatest?
What about Satre? Could he be the greatest? Certainly, he's extremely been influential, he's has a better press than Heidegger (no dodgy nazi past) and he's written some interesting novels, but is he greater than Aristotle? And Ludwig Wittgenstein? A man who claimed to have solved all philosophical problems must be in with a chance.
There are some interesting ommisions from the list though. No Hegel - a victim of his own obscurity. And why Aquinas rather than St Augustine of Hippo? And where exactly is Jean-Jacques Rousseau? Who knows.
I could quite easily vote Aristotle the greatest philosopher of all time, on the basis of reputation and influence. Not only has he stood the test of time, but his influence on his successors, from Aquinas and the Scholastics, to Neo-Aristotleans like MacIntyre has been profound. Also, unlike Plato, his distinctly emprical attitude, his focus on the real world as opposed to the world of forms is definitely endearing.
But what about Immanuel Kant? The supreme rationist, the man how reconsiled Humean empiricism with Cartesian idealism, the man who rationalised the Categorical Imperative and who believed that morality came from within: "Two things fill the mind with ever new and increasing admiration and reverence, the more often and more steadily one reflects on them: the starry heavens above me and the moral law within me."
If we're talking about influence - he himself claimed not to be a philosopher - who else could I vote for other than Marx. Like him or loath him the man was, and to an extent still is, a colossos of modern political thought who's supposed disciples controlled huge swathes of the world.
I wonder if I could use the term greatest philosopher to include my two favourites, JS Mill and Bertrand Russell. Mill could be considered great for his work as one of the greatest Liberal thinkers of the last century, someone who's legacy includes an impressive record as champion of the rights of both humanity in general, women in particular, as well as his work on utilitarian ethics. While Russell is undeniably great - his work with AN Whitehead on Principia Mathematica uncovered problems with the expression of logical problems using simple Kantorian sets, his later contributions to moral philosophy and the history of philsophy resulted in a Nobel prize, he was a profound pascifist who went to prison for his views and he was a founder member of CDN - but is he the greatest?
What about Satre? Could he be the greatest? Certainly, he's extremely been influential, he's has a better press than Heidegger (no dodgy nazi past) and he's written some interesting novels, but is he greater than Aristotle? And Ludwig Wittgenstein? A man who claimed to have solved all philosophical problems must be in with a chance.
There are some interesting ommisions from the list though. No Hegel - a victim of his own obscurity. And why Aquinas rather than St Augustine of Hippo? And where exactly is Jean-Jacques Rousseau? Who knows.
