Well, BBC listeners chose, surprisingly, Karl Marx by an overwhelming majority. The next three in the runnings also exercised great influence for what most would call evil: David Hume, Ludwig Wittgenstein, and Frederich Nietzche. Finally, Plato gets in there, but his 6% pales in comparison to the 28% garnered for Marx.First off, if Kierkegaard doesn't count, no one does. Second, I'm as surprised as Andrew that Marx beats Plato--somewhere in hell, Karl Popper is weeping at a double loss--but I'm more surprised by the claim that Hume and Wittgenstein are listed as "evil" influences by "most." Most who? Berkeleyan idealists?
I’m interested in what Mere-O readers think of this poll and its results (Is Marx even a proper philosopher?). Also, who would you name as the greatest philosopher and why? Take a look at the BBC shortlist to give yourself an idea of the criteria for a “philosopher” - you know it is broad when the likes of Kierkegaard and Marx are on there.
Third, reader polls are all about fraud. Don't despair: philosophy marches on.
5 comments:
Marx is a philosopher, but I wouldn't call him the greatest. My favorite is Diogenes The Cynic, but he wouldn't win a contest like that because he has no texts left. My next favorite would be Hume, but depending on what is meant by 'great', I might go with someone like Buddha.
Oh yeah, you might like the Philosophy Forums.
I will despair, mostly for the third reason.
I can't believe in Britain that Bertrand Russell didn't even make the top five. I haven't read the article yet, but I have to question what their criteria for "great" are.
Kierkegaard is a philosopher, perhaps one the finest there ever was. Marx is a philosopher, but like scott said, not the greatest.
If I were to personally rate the 10 shortlist, I'd say:
1. Plato
2. Hume
3. Aristotle
4. Kierkegaard
5. Locke
6. Kant
7. Descartes
8. Mill
9. Russell
10.Quine
What, no Hegel? Just kiddin'.
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