Who's your top philosopher?

Who is your top philosopher, or philosophy? I want to explore more!

I don't really have a favorite, i am still very much exploring myself. I will say though, outside of my christian upbringing, the philosophers who first turned me onto new things were Edgar Cayce, Terence Mckenna, and Robert Anton Wilson. Edgar Cayce being the first when i was young. This stemmed from interests in Atlantis, i have always been stuck on this idea of Atlantis. I would say that if it wasn't for Atlantis, i wouldn't be interested in conspiracies at all. I have always wanted to walk into a hall of records and take a look around.

O don't let me forget, Jesus, and Buddha. I enjoy reading the bible, and i enjoy reading about Buddha. I don't care to argue the legitimacy of either, I am just saying the Buddha had a lot to offer, and Jesus, he's my brother in arms.

[edit on 15-5-2010 by onequestion]

reply to post by onequestion


When I saw your title my first thought was also Terence Mckenna.

I suppose Ghandi, Blavatsky, Hunter Thompson, Indian philosophy like in Bhagavad Gita, Nassim Haramein, J.A. Wheeler, Einstein, Wilhelm Reich, even comics like Katt Williams, the Beatles...

Man I have so many my brain just overloads when I start thinking about it... I guess I kind of conflate philosophy with world-view...

reply to post by onequestion



Lao Tzu

Sartre


Bill & Ted

I think you meant to say prophets. I don't think that Cayce or Wilson could be considered philosophers.

As far as philosophers go, I have always been partial to John Locke.

I have always been rather fond of Aristotle who was the master of the obvious, in many areas. It seems pedantic, sort of, to state the obvious, but when you think about it, and look around at peoples understanding of things, it is nice to know there are philosophers who took the time to state the obvious. That said, Ayn Rand has had more influence on my own philosophy than any other. She is vilified quite a bit, and declared a "pseudo-philosopher", but she is a full fledged philosopher, who also happens to be a huge fan of Aristotle and the obvious. After the Age of Enlightenment and the more contained Age of Reason, there came the Age of Insidiousness, where Immanuel Kant seems to be the architect of and deconstructor of reason. Rand attempted to counter this with her own advocacy of reason.

I vote for Seneca....

reply to post by onequestion


I like the aforementioned names McKenna, Blavatsky, Lao Tzu for sure.

My pick would be:

Alan Watts

Bruce Lee

Bill Hicks

reply to post by whaaa


Lao Tzu, i like it! lol.

How could i forget, Alan Watts, and bill hicks? I have been watching all of Bill Hicks work recently and it is hilarious.

Just thinking of some more...

Ibn Tufayl, Plato obviously, Pythagoras...

And perhaps the most influential for me, is not from a single source, but that of the collective indigenous wisdoms from around the world.

I am sure more will keep popping into my head now that I am thinking about it...

It's difficult (and in some sense ironic) for me, as someone who tries his best - as an uneducated and (probably) largely ignorant person - to be a lay-student of philosophy, to think in terms of "favorites." I think I've probably benefited from every philosopher I've ever read or heard.

That said, I suppose I'm partial to and more in alignment (in my own thinking) with Descartes (his arguments in favor of proof of a benevolent God existing notwithstanding - not that I believe that it's impossible or untrue necessarily.)

I recently have read and recommend: The Art of War, The Art of Peace, a few different of Confucius's teachings, which are all short, although rather complicated read's. However there is one I highly recommend everyone buy and keep as close to them as one would the Bible which is, Ways of Enlightenment, it is almost like a Buddhist bible for the west, if you will.

ps. I'd stay away from philo's like Socrates imo, although Plato's Republic was helpful, but generally western philo makes me very angry and confused with a feeling i am being brainwashed, lol.

Ibn Rushd, Al-Ghazali, Laozi

I have just acquired a copy from my local library, a book I have been looking for, for a while... "Critique of Pure Reason" by Immanuel Kant. So far, his ideas are hard to comprehend, however, his ideas have been quoted oft by the authors of books on the subject of Metaphysics.

I am not much of a philosopher to be honest with you, but, if I had to pick a FAVORITE philosopher, I'd say, myself

reply to post by LususNaturae


Kant in a nutshell, (if such a tome could be distilled into a nutshell), is that we should forget happiness and do our moral duty. Where Kant goes wrong is that he seems to misunderstand moral duty, as happiness is a moral duty. Further, Kant's critique of pure reason lies in the reality that reason and logic only explain a beginning, middle and an end, and does not explain what came before the beginning, and what comes after the end. Of course, philosophy is about our life here, so what came before this life, and what comes after, is more than likely irrelevant, unless doing our moral duty dictates what comes after, and if what came before dictated our existence now, and if so, then I would surely suggest that happiness not be so cavalierly dismissed as Kant has done.

Easy.

George Carlin.

R.I.P

reply to post by onequestion


Ghandi.

Hands down.

The new political ideology and the new way of resistance in our age. He had the perfect system of non-action to get things done.

~Keeper

At first I liked this new guy, Ken Wilber, but then as i got to looking into him, the intense focus on elemental structure - which is what drew me in - was violated by his disregard for the need to establish a structural foundation. His "holon" concept has merit, but he's declared them to the his own version of "turtles, all the way down", and in that he's lost me forever.

Existence is tightly structured, and for that, there must be a foundation that is more primitive than what sits upon it. Coping out with the "Great Spirit" or God or The Flying Spaghetti Monster is akin to giving up on the effort to really understand the true nature of existence. After all, who knows the scope of what lies beneath where the greatest philosopher has decided to pave it all over and call it done? Who knows whether the key to everything is lying right there, and only a few inches beneath the layer of asphalt that some genius decided to lay down so that he wouldn't have to face his own inability to go any further?

In my view, Science is a dog chasing a car that Philosophy is driving, and neither understands why or how the car does what it does as both race off down the road.

I've been through all the classics over the years.

I'm going to have to say Douglas Adams wins out over them all for my particular case.

by Max Ehrmann
Go placidly amid the noise and the haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others,
even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons;
they are vexatious to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter,
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals,
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love,
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,
it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace in your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.

Descartes would be one.

Socrates, the gadfly himself, would be another.