Matrim Fox Cauthon Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 Looking at the history of the last 500 years, which five thinkers, scientists, and philosophers have had the greatest impact on the way that we think today? In other words, who are the most important thinkers for essentially creating paradigms to more contemporary modern ways of thinking and viewing the world? My list: 1. Isaac Newton 2. Charles Darwin 3. Immanuel Kant 4. Albert Einstein 5. Adam Smith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nous Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 Not a bad list. I can't really pick better candidates, although I'd say Newton is far ahead of the runner-up, who is Kant, who in turn is far ahead of Charles Darwin. Darwin is followed by Einstein and Smith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vrana Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 I was thinking of replacing Kant with Karl Marx. Otherwise I can't think of any better for that list, maybe Freud as well, but I guess it's a question of opinion. Just remembered Descartes as well, you won't consider lengthening it to top 10? :P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MojoJojo Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 In no particular order my top 5 are Adam Smith Charles Darwin Karl Marx Martin Luther Thomas Jefferson Somewhat Euro-centric, but thats mainly because of the imposed time limit of 500 years. There are good reasons to add others like Lenin instead of Marx, John Locke instead of Jefferson, Ghandi, Newton, Einstein, Copernicus, and Freud. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xray the Enforcer Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 Not ready to name my full list, but I'll put forth one for now: Mary Wollstonecraft Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EHK for Darwin Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 [quote name='Vrana' post='1741347' date='Apr 1 2009, 11.51']I was thinking of replacing Kant with Carl Marx. Otherwise I can't think of any better for that list, maybe Freud as well, but I guess it's a question of opinion.[/quote] I could be wrong, but its my understanding that alot of Freud's theories have fallen out of favor with modern experts in the field. And the rapid decline of state communism (or according to some self-identified communists, the fact that there has never been 'true communism' yet) has probably damaged Marx's reputation a bit. Still influential thinkers, but not sure if they're top 5 of the last 500 years. Still working on my list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MojoJojo Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 [quote name='EHK for a True GOP' post='1741355' date='Apr 1 2009, 12.58']I could be wrong, but its my understanding that alot of Freud's theories have fallen out of favor with modern experts in the field. And the rapid decline of state communism (or according to some self-identified communists, the fact that there has never been 'true communism' yet) has probably damaged Marx's reputation a bit. Still influential thinkers, but not sure if they're top 5 of the last 500 years. Still working on my list.[/quote] Even though they were perhaps proven wrong in hindsight, the impact of their ideas has been tremendous. Influential does not mean correct. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EHK for Darwin Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 [quote name='MojoJojo' post='1741359' date='Apr 1 2009, 12.02']Even though they were perhaps proven wrong in hindsight, the impact of their ideas has been tremendous. Influential does not mean correct.[/quote] True enough, but there ain't alot of room on the list to begin with. I can see the possibility of Marx, but I can't see much justification to include Freud over any of the others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ztemhead Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 Voltaire Newton Darwin Luther Plant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vrana Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 [quote name='EHK for a True GOP' post='1741355' date='Apr 1 2009, 18.58']I could be wrong, but its my understanding that alot of Freud's theories have fallen out of favor with modern experts in the field. And the rapid decline of state communism (or according to some self-identified communists, the fact that there has never been 'true communism' yet) has probably damaged Marx's reputation a bit. Still influential thinkers, but not sure if they're top 5 of the last 500 years. Still working on my list.[/quote] Yeah, I figured that they had had alot of influence but maybe less today. I'm starting to think that maybe I shouldn't have spoken so soon, I and asked my employer and she also came with some suggestions making this list infernally hard to narrow down. Firstly she came up with the founder of the inquisition and the founder of the jesuits (-.-'), but then she said Hitler and Columbus and it got me thinking. Either way, it'll be interesting to see what other people write. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G'Kar Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 Locke Rousseau Bentham Hume Cooper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EHK for Darwin Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 [quote name='MojoJojo' post='1741350' date='Apr 1 2009, 11.53']In no particular order my top 5 are Adam Smith Charles Darwin Karl Marx Martin Luther Thomas Jefferson Somewhat Euro-centric, but thats mainly because of the imposed time limit of 500 years. There are good reasons to add others like Lenin instead of Marx, John Locke instead of Jefferson, Ghandi, Newton, Einstein, Copernicus, and Freud.[/quote] I'd go with the Locke over Jefferson if we are to include either. Jefferson didn't so much develop many of these Enlightenment ideals, rather he took other peoples ideas and to one degree or another, applied them. Also his vision of an America filled with self-sufficient, hardy yeomen farmers, free of the power and corruption of banks and corporations...was in hindsight quite naive, not to mention probably undesirable. Hamilton's vision for America was much closer to the eventual reality. And I promise at some point to come up with my own list rather than throwing peanuts at everyone elses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EHK for Darwin Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 What are peoples thoughts on Francis Bacon? The scientific method strikes me as one of the single most important ideas of the last thousand years. Thinking of including him. Hmmm... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iskaral Pust Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 I like the OP list, but would subsitute Marx for Kant. They have a big advantage in standing out as giants in their fields. There are other ideas that have been even more influential, but no single, identifiable creator for a list like this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Meereense Knot Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 Curious about what people think of including Leonhard Euler (maybe not top 5) on this list somewhere. Not quite that big a name, but mathematics exists in its current form today because of a lot of his work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matrim Fox Cauthon Posted April 1, 2009 Author Share Posted April 1, 2009 Well if I had expanded the list to 10 people, then there would be just as many people who would be trying to expand the list to 15 or 20. I suppose that's a slippery slope argument, but I wanted to force people to prioritize. I also would have liked to have added Locke, Hume, Marx, and maybe Bacon. Later when I have more time, I will provide a bit more of a defense of my list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iskaral Pust Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 [quote name='The Knott' post='1741404' date='Apr 1 2009, 13.32']Curious about what people think of including Leonhard Euler (maybe not top 5) on this list somewhere. Not quite that big a name, but mathematics exists in its current form today because of a lot of his work.[/quote] I agree that names like Euler, Leibniz, Pascal, etc. were very influential on the huge leap forward in mathematics. They tend to get too little credit when you consider the innovations that their work enabled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vrana Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 [quote name='Iskaral Pust' post='1741444' date='Apr 1 2009, 20.06']I agree that names like Euler, Leibniz, Pascal, etc. were very influential on the huge leap forward in mathematics. They tend to get too little credit when you consider the innovations that their work enabled.[/quote] I was thinking along the same lines but more of people like Dostoevsky and Wilde and the enormous influence Ken Kesey's first novel, [i]One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest[/i]. But now I'm maybe getting off the topic since we're talking 500 yrs. I'm going to stay away from this discussion until I get to see EHK's list. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacen Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 [quote name='ztemhead' post='1741365' date='Apr 1 2009, 12.04']Plant[/quote] Plant as in, Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin? Agreed :P Anyway, I'd rather we break it down between "scientists" and generalized "(political,social, psychological, philosophical) thinkers", but okay. And the word influential is tricky too. Bacon is important to science- obviously - but how many people on the street would know who he is? Einstein is far more likely to be "known" on the sidewalk survey... So does that mean he is more "influential"? Thomas Edison Albert Einstein Voltaire Hitler - no I don't like him but his "ideas" sure had a big influence on world history Martin Luther Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EHK for Darwin Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 [quote name='Jacen' post='1741456' date='Apr 1 2009, 13.19']And the word influential is tricky too. Bacon is important to science- obviously - but how many people on the street would know who he is? Einstein is far more likely to be "known" on the sidewalk survey... So does that mean he is more "influential"?[/quote] Is popularity really a meaningful measure for influence? I mean various thinkers or ideas could have fundamentally changed the direction of philosophy, politics, or scientific study as we know it without your common pleb having any idea who they are. Doesn't mean they didn't have impact, just that your unwashed masses are ignorant of it. Kant is a good example. One of the most influential thinkers of any era, but I guarantee you that if I line up 100 random Joe's, maybe two of them could tell me much of anything about Kant's ideas and writings. The person doesn't have to be 'known' in a sidewalk survey to be a giant in their field, worthy of listing. As for Hitler, I hardly think he qualifies as a thinker. If we're just including 'most influential historical figures', Napoleon would be making some of these lists and LONG before Hitler ever did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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