Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778)

"A feeble body weakens the mind."

Who was Jean Jacques Rousseau?

Jean Jacques Rousseau was an influential philosopher of the Enlightenment who spent time between his hometown of Geneva, Switzerland, and Paris, France. He made a name for himself by writing A Discourse on the Sciences and Arts, in which he argued that people were corrupted by the arts and sciences, and by writing The Discourse on the Origin of Inequality, where he said all people were born good, but were made unhappy and bad by society. Rousseau's most influential work, though, was The Social Contract Within that, he talked about how in a state of nature, man will be in competition with man, so they join up with other men in order to get greater protection. While this assembly protects the people within it, it also exists at the permission of the individuals, so with the people, is where the power lies. This concept would be very important in sparking the French Revolution. Along with being famous for his writings, Rousseau was a musical composer and novelist.

Character-Rousseau would definitely not be considered the ideal man, as he was known to have quarreled frequently with his peers, and became rather paranoid towards the end of his life. As well, Rousseau fathered many illegitimate children, and refused to pay child support to help them out.

Rating: 4

Success-While his works were definitely influential, especially when it came to the French Revolution, it's hard to say that he had more success than some of the other philosophers I've discussed. The Social Contract caused him to have to flee from Paris to Geneva, where he struggled to cooperate with authorities and friends. He was criticized by fellow philosophers of his time, such as Edmund Burke and Voltaire.

Rating: 6

Positive Contributions-Along with the French Revolution, Rousseau impacted political philosophy and ideas about education. He believed that for one to learn, experience is more important that book learning. However, due to divergence of the way his political ideas were applied and his criticism of private property, Rousseau has been seen as contributing to modern fascism and communism.

Rating: 5

Impact-More directly, his ideas were used by the leaders of the revolutions in France. Indirectly, his ideas brought revolutions all around Europe.

Rating: 8

TOTAL RATING: 5.1 (8th of 8)

Voltaire (1694-1778)

"Appreciation is a wonderful thing; it makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well."

Who was Voltaire?

Born Francois-Marie Arouet, Voltaire was a French philosopher and one of the major figures during the era of Enlightenment. He was considered a great writer and expressed his beliefs, not just through the traditional sense, but also through plays, stories, and poems (his most famous work was a book called Candide). The intelligence and wit that Voltaire expressed in his writings made him very popular throughout his life. However, his wit and critiques would land him in a lot of trouble, as he would find himself exiled from Paris and France many times. Voltaire was famous for his support of civil liberties, religious freedom, social reform, separation of church and state, as well as his opposition to censorship and religious intolerance. His workers greatly influenced writers of both the American and French Revolution.

Character-Personally, I've always found courage and honesty as being important components of strong character, and Voltaire had them both. He was unrelenting in his sarcasm and critiques, and risked punishment from the state several times. Voltaire stood for freedoms and the rights of people, and sought a better society. However, there were speculations about him possibly being racist and anti-Semitic, though he did oppose slavery.

Rating: 9

Success-Determining the success of a philosopher has been a struggle for me throughout this entire process. On the one hand, Voltaire was a terrific writer and a big player in the Enlightenment period, whose works influenced two different revolutions. When he returned to Paris at the age of 83, he was viewed as a hero. On the other hand, it's hard to be successful when you get exiled from a country multiple times, and Voltaire did not directly influence anything and isn't considered one of the greatest philosophers in history.

Rating: 7

Positive Contributions-As I've said many times before when it comes to philosophers, they don't have the ability to save lives or free people. However, Voltaire's ideas did contribute to two revolutions and the writings of the US Constitution.

Rating: 7

Impact-Much in the same way as Locke, Voltaire's ideas spread to the most important parts of the world. As Europe was the power house of the globe during his time, Voltaire's contributions to the American and French Revolution were important.

Rating: 9

TOTAL: 8.3 (3rd of 7)

John Locke (1632-1704)

"All man...being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty or possessions."

Who was John Locke?

John Locke is best known for having been an English philosopher, though he was also an Oxford scholar, medical researcher, economist, and political activist. Through much of his writings, Locke expressed his anti-authoritarian view, and his opposition the theory that kings were chosen by God to rule upon a group of people. He was a firm believer in the idea of a social contract, where a government rules at the consent of the governed. Locke called for people to use their own reason, and not just accept the beliefs of those ruling, and distinguish between legitimate and illegitimate governments. More famously, Locke came up with the concept of natural rights, saying that just by being born, everyone had the right to life, liberty, and property.

Character-It's a little bit difficult for me to really get a grasp of the content of Locke's character. He's admirable for challenging authority and his belief of natural rights, but there really isn't much else.

Rating: 8.5

Success-Locke doesn't have the same reputation as Aristotle and Plato when it comes to philosophy. He doesn't seem to be ranked among the very greatest of philosophers, though from the very little I know of him, I'd disagree. Thomas Jefferson actually referred to Locke, along with Francis Bacon and Issac Newton, as the three greatest men that ever lived.

Rating: 9

Positive Contributions-Locke's ideas contributed greatly to the foundations of America. His writings, particularly his concept of natural rights, greatly influenced the writing in Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution. His "life, liberty, and property" was changed by Jefferson to "life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness" in the Declaration of Independence. Largely due to Locke, the United States never has had nobility or a monarchy within our government.

Rating: 7

Impact-Known as the "Father of Liberalism," Locke's ideas helped inspire the American Revolution, and influence effected the writings of Americans like Jefferson and Thomas Paine. The revolution among the colonies would be used as a rallying point for revolutions all over the world by those unhappy with those who governed them.

Rating: 9

TOTAL RATING: 8.4 (2nd of 6)

Rene Descartes (1596-1650)

"I think, therefore I am."

Who was Rene Descartes?

Rene Descartes was a French philosopher, as well as a mathematician and scientist. Known as the "Father of Modern Philosophy," Descartes learned to connect geometry and algebra, leading to the creation of Cartesian coordinate system, also known as analytic geometry. It was his belief that science and math could be used to explain everything in nature. As well, Descartes was famous for his search for truth. He embarked on this through a method of doubting; the fact that he could not doubt that he existed led him to coin the famous phrase, "I think, therefore I am." From this, Descartes argued for the existence of God, and believed him to be infinite and lacking any physical appearance. Another one of Descartes' most lasting concepts is that of mind-body dualism. He believed that the mind and the body were two different things and independent of each other.

Character-Throughout his life, Descartes proved himself to be a courageous person. For one, in 1617, he volunteered himself to serve in the Dutch Army. Second, despite the fact that he was heavily religious, he continuously rejected Aristotelian traditions of philosophy (for instance, Descartes believed the galaxy was heliocentric), leading him to be condemned and having his works barred by the Catholic Church. In 1637, he published Discourse on Method, despite knowing of the risk that his work might be censured by the Church.

Rating: 9.5

Success-The fact that so much of Descartes work is still relevant in the present attests to his success, though I feel few actually know who Descartes is. We all know of his famous quote, his analytic geometry is what we learn in school today, and he discovered many physics topics that we are also taught, such as reflection and refraction.

Rating: 9

Positive Contributions-I've already written a lot about some of the important things that Descartes has brought to society, but there are many who view him as villainous due to his thoughts on animals. Descartes believed that animals were like machine, who were incapable of feeling pain, and were basically physical beings without any mental capacities. This view towards animal, one could argue, is what has led to animal mistreatment and testing throughout history.

Rating: 5

Impact-Descartes probably had the most far-reaching impact of all those we've talked of so far. He was born in France, served and spent much of his life in the Dutch Republic, and died in Sweden where he was tutoring the Queen Christina. His works are around the world in our present day.

Rating: 9

TOTAL RATING: 8.5 (1st of 5)

Francis Bacon (1561-1626)

"Knowledge is power."

Who was Francis Bacon? 

Francis Bacon was one of the most prominent figures in natural philosophy, as well as a notable politician. At the age of 18, his father died, leaving him poor, and opposition towards him by Queen Elizabeth I of England got his political career off to a rocky start. However, his tides turned when King James I came into power. Under James I, Bacon ascended the ranks, becoming Solicitor General in 1607, Attorney General in 1613, Lord Chancellor (the highest political office) in 1618, and being named Baron Verulam in 1618 as well. Bacon is now known for his idea of a modern research institution and inventing the scientific method, which involved collecting data and carrying out experiments.

Character-For the first time, I've run into someone who we could say has questionable character. Bacon's time as Lord Chancellor ended in 1621 when he was found guilty of accepting bribes, and he was banned from holding office anymore. Though he left politics in disgrace, there are still debates over whether his accepting gifts was all that bad, as it was standard during his time.

Rating: 5

Success-Much in the way of the scientific method and modern science is due to the works of Bacon. However, Bacon focused on the gathering of data (induction), and ignored the importance of the hypothesis, which is used today. From my searching, I don't see Bacon being considered as one of the top philosophers of all time, and while he spoke out for learning reform as a politician, it's hard to consider him successful when he left office in disgrace.

Rating: 6

Positive Contributions-Reviews are rather mixed on whether Bacon really contributed positively to the world. On the one hand, as I've said before, there are his contributions to modern science. On the other hand, his critics view him as the originator of using science to as exploitation, and means of imperialism.

Rating: 5

Impact-Bacon played a big role in England during his time. He wrote a great deal, he served in the government, and he contributed to science.

Rating: 8

TOTAL RATING: 5.6 (4th of 4)

Aristotle (384-322 B.C.)

"A friend to all is a friend to none."

Who was Aristotle?

Aristotle was a student of Plato, having had studied at the Academy, and was a teacher to Alexander the Great. Throughout his life, he wrote somewhere close to 200 treatises (a formal and systematic writing on a subject), though only about 31 of those still exist. Aristotle proved himself to be of a brilliant mind, as he would end up making contributions to the fields of physics, biology, ethics, math, politics, and even theatre. He attempted to find some sort of method in which everything in life could be explained and learned. Famously, Aristotle rejected his teacher's belief on the concept of forms, which had said properties like beauty are entities independent of an object itself. Rather, Aristotle argued that they must be related and cannot be apart from each other. Like Plato, though, Aristotle formed a school, called the Lyceum in Athens.

Character-Aristotle definitely had his fair share of discussion on ethics, morals, and what makes a good life. Throughout his time, he wrote about topics like happiness, virtue, and three types of friendships. Aristotle also talked about a morality and how achieving a good life comes through reasoning. His view on ethics was that doing good was different than being good, and people need to prove their goodness in order for it to be meaningful. Interestingly, I couldn't find any grand example of him doing great deeds.

Rating: 8.5

Success-In the lists that I've Googled for greatest philosopher ever, Aristotle is the one who is consistently at the top. It's easy to understand since he basically contributed to every single thing we learn or learned about in school.

Rating: 10

Positive Contributions-As I've said with the philosophers before, Aristotle didn't save lives or anything that amazing. However, his quest for knowledge and his discoveries would leave a large impact in the fields like biology and logic. 

Rating: 5.5

Impact-Unlike Socrates and Plato, Aristotle did not have someone to pass his knowledge too and take over his work, making him the last of the prominent Greek philosophers. He did however tutor Alexander the Great for a time being. For me, it's difficult to gauge how much of a direct impact Aristotle had during his time, but through being the first biologist and influencing logic, he has made his name known today. If there was a contest for the greatest (however you want to define 'great') person to come out of Greece, Aristotle would be in the mix.

Rating: 8

TOTAL RATING: 8.1 (1st of 3)

Plato (427-327 B.C.)

"Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws."

Who was Plato? 

Plato was a Greek Philosopher, who was a student of Socrates and the teacher of Aristotle. Through his writings of Socrates as a fictional character, we understand the life and beliefs of his mentor. Born into a wealthy family, Plato was expected to pursue a career in politics, but after the execution of Socrates, he left that field forever. Rather, after spending twelves years traveling to places like Italy and Egypt, Plato came back to Athens and in 387 BC, founded the Academy, which would become the first institution of higher learning. Along with philosophy, the Academy also focused on subjects like geology, physics, and math. Plato's most famous work is The Republic, which shows his philosophy on issues like politics and morals.

Character-Unlike Socrates, there were no specific events to attest to the strength of Plato's character. However, Plato did write a lot about and emphasize morality, and what makes a man of good character. Along with that, his founding of the Academy was in hopes of creating a better Greek society.

Rating: 8.5

Success-Through his opening of the Academy, Plato was able to educate students in a variety of topics he deemed important, as well as the Socratic method of thinking. Plato also lectured at the school, though none of his works were published. The Academy didn't close until 529 AD, and served as a model for future institutions and the educational system.

Rating: 8

Positive Contributions-As I said with Socrates, being a philosopher isn't something that saves lives or liberates people. However, his founding of an educational institution and his attempt at bettering Greek politics and society was something very valuable.

Rating: 6

Impact-Of course, the Academy allowed the beliefs of Plato to be more widespread than Socrates, and made him a bigger name during his time. In 367 BC, Plato was invited to Syracuse in Sicily, Italy to teach the new king, Dionysius II. This gave Plato an opportunity to achieve his goal of a philosopher king, though this attempt was unsuccessful.

Rating: 8

TOTAL RATING: 7.7 (2nd of 2)