Author |
Share Topic Topic Search Topic Options
|
Winterhaze13
Colonel
Joined: 11-Nov-2004
Location: Canada
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 716
|
Quote Reply
Topic: Most Influential Intellectuals of the Millennium (New) Posted: 08-Mar-2005 at 11:15 |
I'd like to dicuss intellectuals and how they have impacted the society we live in. I think intellectuals have largely shaped our society and ways of thinking and therefore should receive recognition. Remember that by "intellectuals" I mean writers and scientists, but not inventors or artists.
|
Indeed, history is nothing more than a tableau of crimes and misfortunes.
-- Voltaire
French author, humanist, rationalist, & satirist (1694 - 1778)
|
|
Winterhaze13
Colonel
Joined: 11-Nov-2004
Location: Canada
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 716
|
Quote Reply
Posted: 12-Mar-2005 at 11:13 |
Marxism has come to shape our society the most, I think. His ideas have been incorporated into capitalism. And that is why I voted for him. Many would try to demonize Marx but his ideas are largely misinterpreted by people who can't acknowledge the distinction between Marxist Socialism and Soviet Communism.
|
Indeed, history is nothing more than a tableau of crimes and misfortunes.
-- Voltaire
French author, humanist, rationalist, & satirist (1694 - 1778)
|
|
Berosus
Pretorian
Joined: 17-Aug-2004
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 153
|
Quote Reply
Posted: 12-Mar-2005 at 17:05 |
In 1999, Time-Life Books published a volume listing the 1,000 most
important people of the preceding millennium. I think the title
was, "1000 years, 1000 people." Despite all the activity of our
own time, nobody from the twentieth century won a place in the top ten,
though Mahatma Gandhi and Adolf Hitler made it in the top twenty.
The top-ranked person of the second millennium A.D. was Johann
Gutenberg, due to the effects of his printing press. So why isn't
Herr Gutenberg in this poll?
|
Nothing truly great is achieved through moderation.--Prof. M.A.R. Barker
|
|
Serge L
Baron
Joined: 03-Aug-2004
Location: Italy
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 485
|
Quote Reply
Posted: 12-Mar-2005 at 20:29 |
Uh? did I not see this poll yet?
However, I vote again for Galileo, who put the basis for the "scientific method".
|
|
Winterhaze13
Colonel
Joined: 11-Nov-2004
Location: Canada
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 716
|
Quote Reply
Posted: 13-Mar-2005 at 13:55 |
Originally posted by Berosus
In 1999, Time-Life Books published a volume listing the 1,000 most important people of the preceding millennium. I think the title was, "1000 years, 1000 people." Despite all the activity of our own time, nobody from the twentieth century won a place in the top ten, though Mahatma Gandhi and Adolf Hitler made it in the top twenty. The top-ranked person of the second millennium A.D. was Johann Gutenberg, due to the effects of his printing press. So why isn't Herr Gutenberg in this poll? |
I mentioned in my opening post that I was not going to include inventors.
|
Indeed, history is nothing more than a tableau of crimes and misfortunes.
-- Voltaire
French author, humanist, rationalist, & satirist (1694 - 1778)
|
|
Winterhaze13
Colonel
Joined: 11-Nov-2004
Location: Canada
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 716
|
Quote Reply
Posted: 13-Mar-2005 at 13:55 |
Originally posted by Serge L
Uh? did I not see this poll yet?
However, I vote again for Galileo, who put the basis for the "scientific method".
|
I forgot to add Issac Newton to the other poll, so I began a new one. Please ignore the other.
Edited by Winterhaze13
|
Indeed, history is nothing more than a tableau of crimes and misfortunes.
-- Voltaire
French author, humanist, rationalist, & satirist (1694 - 1778)
|
|
Komnenos
Tsar
Retired AE Administrator
Joined: 20-Dec-2004
Location: Neutral Zone
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 4361
|
Quote Reply
Posted: 15-Mar-2005 at 05:42 |
Originally posted by Winterhaze13
Marxism has come to shape our society the most, I think. His ideas have been incorporated into capitalism. And that is why I voted for him. Many would try to demonize Marx but his ideas are largely misinterpreted by people who can't acknowledge the distinction between Marxist Socialism and Soviet Communism. |
I couldn't agree more, and once the unfortunate episodes of Soviet and Chinese so-called communism are forgotten and global capitalism will spiral to its inevitable collapse, there will be a rebirth of Marxist ideas.
|
[IMG]http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i137/komnenos/crosses1.jpg">
|
|
Winterhaze13
Colonel
Joined: 11-Nov-2004
Location: Canada
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 716
|
Quote Reply
Posted: 15-Mar-2005 at 11:11 |
Originally posted by Komnenos
Originally posted by Winterhaze13
Marxism has come to shape our society the most, I think. His ideas have been incorporated into capitalism. And that is why I voted for him. Many would try to demonize Marx but his ideas are largely misinterpreted by people who can't acknowledge the distinction between Marxist Socialism and Soviet Communism. |
I couldn't agree more, and once the unfortunate episodes of Soviet and Chinese so-called communism are forgotten and global capitalism will spiral to its inevitable collapse, there will be a rebirth of Marxist ideas. |
I agree with everything you said except about the rebirth of Marxist thought. I think it never really died out. Many of Marx's ideas were incorporated into capitalism in the form of keynesianism and the Welfare State. However, I agree that capitalism is very fragile and would eventuallu collapse like feudalism did.
|
Indeed, history is nothing more than a tableau of crimes and misfortunes.
-- Voltaire
French author, humanist, rationalist, & satirist (1694 - 1778)
|
|
Guests
Guest
|
Quote Reply
Posted: 17-Mar-2005 at 14:02 |
I take it you are referring to our somewhat recorded history. The new or the third millenium would be absolutely pointless, considering our intelectual prospects. Given the list provided, "other" is the choice although Newton, Galileo and Einstein could golf in my foursome anytime.
|
|
Tobodai
Tsar
Retired AE Moderator
Joined: 03-Aug-2004
Location: Antarctica
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 4310
|
Quote Reply
Posted: 17-Mar-2005 at 22:35 |
Adam Smith, he was right, and his ideas have defeated many others in confrontation.
|
"the people are nothing but a great beast...
I have learned to hold popular opinion of no value."
-Alexander Hamilton
|
|
Winterhaze13
Colonel
Joined: 11-Nov-2004
Location: Canada
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 716
|
Quote Reply
Posted: 18-Mar-2005 at 11:08 |
Originally posted by Tobodai
Adam Smith, he was right, and his ideas have defeated many others in confrontation. |
Right about what? The capitalism which he proposed is very different to capitalism today.
Edited by Winterhaze13
|
Indeed, history is nothing more than a tableau of crimes and misfortunes.
-- Voltaire
French author, humanist, rationalist, & satirist (1694 - 1778)
|
|
gcle2003
King
Suspended
Joined: 06-Dec-2004
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 7035
|
Quote Reply
Posted: 18-Mar-2005 at 14:34 |
Originally posted by Serge L
Uh? did I not see this poll yet?
However, I vote again for Galileo, who put the basis for the "scientific method".
|
I like the reason but not the choice. But I can't vote for Kepler.
The real point about Kepler is that he changed his mind when he found he was wrong. I don't think any of the other scientists in the list did that.
(cf Arthur Koestler, 'The Watershed')
|
|
Tobodai
Tsar
Retired AE Moderator
Joined: 03-Aug-2004
Location: Antarctica
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 4310
|
Quote Reply
Posted: 18-Mar-2005 at 15:26 |
Originally posted by Winterhaze13
Originally posted by Tobodai
Adam Smith, he was right, and his ideas have defeated many others in confrontation. |
Right about what? The capitalism which he proposed is very different to capitalism today.
|
that is true, but even without him what we have today would be very different than what is is now. He also unintentionally greatly influenced British econimic policy for a long time, affecting nearly a quarter of the world by some means or another.
|
"the people are nothing but a great beast...
I have learned to hold popular opinion of no value."
-Alexander Hamilton
|
|
rhazes
Immortal Guard
Joined: 15-Mar-2005
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 0
|
Quote Reply
Posted: 18-Mar-2005 at 22:41 |
The poll is too Eurocentric for my taste.
|
|
|
Tobodai
Tsar
Retired AE Moderator
Joined: 03-Aug-2004
Location: Antarctica
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 4310
|
Quote Reply
Posted: 18-Mar-2005 at 23:37 |
I agree but its ok to have little polls for different culture groups, perhaps we could start other intellectual polls for different time periods and culture groups.
|
"the people are nothing but a great beast...
I have learned to hold popular opinion of no value."
-Alexander Hamilton
|
|
Winterhaze13
Colonel
Joined: 11-Nov-2004
Location: Canada
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 716
|
Quote Reply
Posted: 19-Mar-2005 at 16:13 |
Originally posted by rhazes
The poll is too Eurocentric for my taste. |
I must admit I am ignorant in Asian history. But European history is all I have been taught. But, I think it is a good poll by virtue of the fact that I have all the most important ones from every field of study.
|
Indeed, history is nothing more than a tableau of crimes and misfortunes.
-- Voltaire
French author, humanist, rationalist, & satirist (1694 - 1778)
|
|
Aquila
Immortal Guard
Joined: 16-Mar-2005
Location: Switzerland
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 0
|
Quote Reply
Posted: 19-Mar-2005 at 19:00 |
Athough I don't believe in Evolution, Charles Darwin was pretty influential.
|
Aquila©2004 Victor Chevalier
|
|
Drunt Ba'adur
Janissary
Joined: 18-Mar-2005
Location: Neutral Zone
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 28
|
Quote Reply
Posted: 19-Mar-2005 at 19:43 |
Albert Einstein
It isn't the most influential intellectual man of the millenium, but
i'm sure that he was one of the best minds that ever lived on the
earth. As influential i'm sure that Marx is the most important of that
list, but if we talk about intellectual or the one in XX century that's
Einstein.
Maybe we could have Newton, Marx, Einstein. The first because of the
new conception of physics and Einstein said that he was only
'perfecting' Newton's theories. Einstein because with relativity theory
opened a new conception of the universe and physics. Marx-Engels
because communism theories have changed the world. I'm sure that there
are others, for example lutheranism.
|
|