How much influence can a philosopher have on people and world events, really?

Answer 1

You know who aristotle is, right?

So does almost everyone else.

If he was not influential, you would not know who he is.

And you wouldn't know who Pascal, Plato, Hume, Paley, and all those other people are...

Answer 2

Influence you say, how about right here in yahoo answers, shall I say enki. When he was thinking about leaving people went nuts. If you ask the people who he came into contact with most will tell you how much he really has influenced them, me included. As for world events I am not too sure about that but you have to remember most philosophers effects cannot be seen till years later. I can tell you that he has changed me and some of my views and the way I now do things because of his philosophical questions and some of his thought provoking point of views. It is how we make change one step at a time and if he is influencing several different people then he is changing the world. Yes, I do believe that philosophers can change the world and has done so. Two great examples are ghandi and socrates.

Answer 3

Proponents of religions are actually nothing more than philosophers of a sort, and look what an impact religions have on the entire world.

Answer 4

not much if you are not well known.. people in power are the only ones who have influence.. popularity and power are what allows you to have influence on a large group of people. however, there are those who have broken the barrier, have become world known symbols and have been able to spread their views and thinkings to the rest of the world

Answer 5

I run a business in maximum performance training and consulting, for business owners. It's called Peak ACT. I use all my information from my Western Philosophy degree, in some way or other. I also use all my knowledge from Eastern Philosophy and yogi training, in some way or another. I use all my life experience in one way or another. I also use my knowledge of psychology in one way or another, as well as my always growing knowledge of consulting and training.

You could call me a methodologist and a pragmatist, with a background in multiple, world philosophical systems. I hope that I stand as an example of usefulness, beyond the usually slow trickle down effect from academia to real life.

But then, philosophers changed the way we think many times. Take for example Karl Popper's falsificationist criterion for scientific theories. The effects were pretty big. For one, it correctly relegated psychology to the status of "social science," if that phrase makes any sense.

Answer 6

His impact may vary depending upon how well he can convince the audience his.Lecture is based upon the truth it would be very convincing have someone had an.Inkling of the subject matter at hand,I believe to be philosophical one must quote ,unquote sale
his ideas to the audience.

Answer 7

A lot, look at the influence of Marx.

People need an intellectual base for their actions.

Answer 8

Anaxagoras- the original evolutionist
Pythagoras- the maths we learn at school
Democritas- atomic theory
Plato- Christianity (via Augustine)
Aristotle- formal logic/Christianity (via Aquinas)
Francis Bacon- modern scientific method
Locke- The US constitution
Rousseau/Diderot/Voltaire- romanticism/atheism
James- psychology
Nietzsche- Nazi ideology (disputed)
Marx- the political systems of half the world at one stage
Russell- CND
Me- answering this question

Answer 9

Americas government is built on certain philosophers ideas, just google John Locke. That is a big influence.

Answer 10

If you look deeply enough, most of the good things we humans have done, have their roots in philosophy, or a particular philosopher.

Answer 11

Probably nowadays not alot Paul, with all the media controlling and influencing most things.

On the plus side you have an orange for a head, ever hear the joke about the man with an orange for a head???