Your Philosopher of Choice is ...

[melankomas]

Richard Dawkins as philosopher? Do you mean as scientist (realizing that the natural sciences are technically a branch of the utilitarian philosophies)?

I'm not trying to be antagonistic, but always thought of Dawkins as a scientist-cum-philosopher. I poked my nose into "The God Delusion" and was quite disgusted (not at his conclusions, though I disagree with them) but his argumentation.

scientists are philosophers, in my view. i rather like Dawkins. i enjoy his work because it's outside my general interest in theoretical physics, but still is exciting. ever since The Selfish Gene.

 

[Samsa]

i don't think he can be discounted for being so. a philosopher is a lover of wisdom, i believe, and i daresay he was that. certainly, his idea of what wisdom is differs from mine, but i'd count him a philosopher.

Oh I certainly don't discount St. Paul. Earlier in this thread I had a friendly exchange with another member about this distinction between Theology and Philosophy, which, to be sure, seems to be a little murkier than I was initially willing to admit.

 

[Cacklewack]

I can't pick just one. There are, however, a few theologians/philosophers who have had a dramatic influence on my life:

Jonathan Edwards
John Calvin
Augustine
Martin Luther
Arthur W. Pink
Ayn Rand

Most of them have gleaned much of their theological/philosophical outlooks from others, but their words have directly affected me.

Matt

 

[Curt Chiarelli]

Hobbes: Life is nasty, brutish, and short.
Machiavelli: And here's how you can help keep it that way AND win valuable prizes!

lol lol lol

 

[MKL]

I can't pick just one. There are, however, a few theologians/philosophers who have had a dramatic influence on my life:

Jonathan Edwards
John Calvin
Augustine
Martin Luther
Arthur W. Pink
Ayn Rand

Most of them have gleaned much of their theological/philosophical outlooks from others, but their words have directly affected me.

Matt

Hi Matt,

I choose Edwards as well in a previous post. Glad to see someone else interested in Reformed theology.

 

[rcinlv]

Ayn Rand...
Miguel Servetus (who was, ironically, put to death by Calvin as an heretic)...
Leonardo da Vinci...
Lao Tzu...

RC

 

[MKL]

Ayn Rand...
Miguel Servetus (who was, ironically, put to death by Calvin as an heretic)...
Leonardo da Vinci...
Lao Tzu...

RC

Hi

Actually Calvin did not put him to death, the gov't of Geneva did. Of course, he did approve of the death penalty for hersey as most did in that day - both Roman Catholic and Protestants - a carry over from the Old Covenant as they would have viewed it.

 

[The Reno Kid]

All philosophy is a footnote to Plato.
----------------- A. N. Whitehead

That being said, I am just starting to get into Aquinas and Augustine. It's a fun search.

 

[rcinlv]

Hi

Actually Calvin did not put him to death, the gov't of Geneva did. Of course, he did approve of the death penalty for hersey as most did in that day - both Roman Catholic and Protestants - a carry over from the Old Covenant as they would have viewed it.

Perhaps I should have qualified it with "Calvin suggested he was a heretic who should be burned at the stake for suggesting that there was no original biblical reference to support a Holy Trinity," but that would just be a semantic argument.

RC

 

[MKL]

Perhaps I should have qualified it with "Calvin suggested he was a heretic who should be put to death by fire for suggesting that there was no original biblical reference to support a Holy Trinity," but that would just be a semantic argument.

RC

If I remember correctly he suggested they cut his head off rather than the flame. I not quite sure though if Servetus was comforted at that gesture.

 

[Harp]

All philosophy is a footnote to Plato.
----------------- A. N. Whitehead

That being said, I am just starting to get into Aquinas and Augustine. It's a fun search.

Straw and chastity, huh? Check out Summa Contra Gentiles.
One thing about Aquinas, he was a Dominican, not a Jebbie.lol

 

[drafttek]

If I remember correctly he suggested they cut his head off rather than the flame. I not quite sure though if Servetus was comforted at that gesture.

"A hot stake's better than a cold chop!"-Curly Howard

 

[drafttek]

No mention of Buddha

Would he/they be considered a philosopher? I find Buddhism very interesting.

But then again, some things just need killin'.

 

[OldSkoolFrat]

Ayn Rand

Objectivist Epistomology

 

[BAZ]

Homer.........................................................................................
Simpson.

 

[Harp]

Wittgenstein, Derrida, Foucault

A review of Cartesian methodology as seen from Ludwig Wittgenstein's
perspective on language and inherent limitations imposed on
philosophy led to the further deconstruction by Derrida and Foucault;
still in personal disagreement, but would add all three.

 

[Harp]

,,,have a copy of Foucault's lectures to the Sorbonne
around here someplace... 20th Century French philosophers
are being revisited.

 

[Polka Dot]

My favorite philosopher is Derrida.

I think Sartre is overrated.

 

[donf]

For me, its Jesus Christ, with some Spurgeon, and John Owen. Most recent would have to be C.S. Lewis.

 

[griffer]

Sigh...

Rand.

Aristotle.