The love of wisdom

Famous Philosophers

Philosophy, which literally means “the love of wisdom,” is one of the oldest disciplines in history. There are many ideas about philosophers and what they do. Some have even considered the field to be a science that deals with logic and reason. Either way, many famous philosophers have made their contributions known to the world through their writings and their students. Below is a list of the greatest thinkers of all time along with their most important theories about human nature and other ponderings of the world.

Karl Marx (1818-1883) Famous For: The Communist Manifesto, co-founder and father of Socialism & Communism Karl Marx is better known as the “father of socialism and communism,” one follows the other. Marx has been labeled as a “revolutionary socialist” for his belief in what has been called dictatorship of the proletariat. In addition to espousing his own philosophies, he was also a sociologist, economist, journalist, and historian.

Voltaire (1694-1778) Famous For: his philosophical wit French philosopher François-Marie Arouet was a well known during the 18th century. He is better known under his pseudonym, Voltaire. Voltaire was an advocate of some of the most basic freedoms, he believed in the freedom of expression, religion and voiced this through his witty writing. One of his favorite targets was the Catholic church.

Socrates (c. 469-399 BC) Famous For: the Socratic Method of logic and a founder of Western philosophy His story began in his hometown of Athens, Greece but unfolded through the writings of his students and fellow philosophers. The field of ethics was the specialty of Socrates and introduced a concept that has been dubbed as elenchus, or the Socratic method. He contributed much to the field of logic and epistimology.

Plato (c. 428-348 BC)