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Confucius, a Chinese teacher, writer, and philosopher, saw himself as a conduit for the imperial dynasties' theological concepts and ideals that came before him. He promoted a style of living that mirrored spiritual and religious traditions while still being clearly humanist and even secular. -
Many believe Aristotle to be the father of Western philosophy. His thoughts and writings on metaphysics, ethics, knowledge, and inquiry are fundamental to human thought. The breadth of Aristotle's writings, as well as his personal reach during his lifetime, contributed to his immense. -
Historians differ on when Lao-Tzu lived and taught, but it's largely held that he founded Taoism. Some historians question whether or not the "old master" was a real person. His writings would form one of the major pillars (alongside Confucius and the Buddha) for Eastern thought. -
Kierkegaard was a philosopher, theologian, and social critic from Denmark. His work was primarily concerned with the concept of the solitary individual. He emphasized the significance of a person's subjective relationship with God. Kierkegaard's work was initially exclusively available in Danish, and it was only when his ideas spread throughout Western Europe that it became available in English. -
John Stuart Mill, a British economist, public servant, and philosopher, is regarded as a cornerstone of contemporary social and political philosophy. He provided a significant amount of work to the liberalism school of thought, which is based on the expansion of individual liberty and economic freedoms. His views have been crucial in establishing a rhetorical foundation for social justice, anti-poverty, and human rights movements. -
One of the first prominent philosophers to reject dogmatic religious and moral standards in favor of a more sentimentalist view of human nature was David Hume. He was working on a "naturalistic science of man" that delved into the psychological factors that define people. -
Ralph Waldo Emerson is the founder of the transcendentalist movement, a uniquely American philosophical viewpoint that eschewed societal and organized religious influences in favor of individuality, freedom, and a personal focus on the soul's interaction with the natural world. -
Karl Marx prophesied that capitalism's inherent inequities and brutality will eventually lead to its demise. The ideology that underpins Marxism, as well as his revolutionary zeal, would have a global impact. Karl Marx presided over a conceptual revolution that continues to this day in many respects. -
Thomas Aquinas was a Dominican friar, theologian, and Doctor of the Church who lived in the 13th century. The notion of natural theology is his most significant contribution to Western philosophy. Rather than scripture or religious experience, this belief system believes that the existence of God may be proven via reason and reasonable explanation. -
Niccolo di Bernardo dei Machiavelli was a Renaissance Italian philosopher, writer, and politician. His most famous works discussed the boundaries of effective rulership, in which he seemed to advocate for leading via whatever means necessary to maintain control, such as deception, murder, and tyranny. -
Descartes, a French philosopher, mathematician, and physicist, was born in France but spent the first 20 years of his life in the Netherlands. He made a name for himself by frequently rejecting or seeking to dismantle the beliefs of people who came before him.. -
Physicist and philosopher John Locke lived during the Enlightenment. He is credited with being a key figure in the creation of the social contract theory. His ideology is claimed to have influenced the writing of the Declaration of Independence, which kicked off America's struggle for independence from the British. -
Kant is often regarded as one of the most important philosophers in contemporary philosophy. He was a proponent of reason as a source of morality and a thinker whose views are still debated in ethical, epistemological, and political circles. -
Michel Foucault was a French historian, social theorist, and philosopher. He dedicated much of his teaching and writing to the examination of power and its connection to social control. His service as an international diplomat on behalf of France also influenced his understanding of social constructs throughout history. -
Friedrich Nietzsche was a philosopher, poet, and cultural critic. His philosophical philosophy would have a significant effect on the Western World. He utilized caustic wit and a love of sarcasm to investigate reality, Christian morality, and societal structures in his writing.