Who was the best philosopher ever?

Answer 1

socrates

Answer 2

I think you might have a bum question here, friend. The 'best philosopher' might have been a casual acquaintance of a casual acquaintance of [some well-known philosopher]. And she might have gone unnoticed, despite the impact of her undocumented work on the documented work of the historical candidates.

Philosophy is very much a lineage of thinking behaviors, and these can be influenced by 'unimportant' things, such as the fleeting smirk of an underling, quickly suppressed, but seen by the Great Man.

I think it likely that 'the best philosopher' is unknown to history. The glaring paucity of female candidates assures me that the search itself is biased.

And what would you do with the fact if you had it? Suppose it were: "The best philosopher ever died, ca. 6700 BCE, at the age of 26 with a sharp stick thrust through his neck while he was assaulting the north side of the palisade at the site of the village that would later become Plovdiv."

Answer 3

i could say every single philosopher was the greatest, but what's the point.
on the other hand, when i think about the greatest philosopher ever i have in my mind 5 years old kid for whom everything is new, that kid doesn't have answers, is still learning and wondering and everything for that kid is unbelievable- that's the greatest philosopher- somebody who is open and takes nothing for granted. and that's what philosophy is all about- to wonder- like tales said.

Answer 4

To answer that for your self, you must choose your standards of what philosophers set out to achieve. Plato, through Aquinas, gave us 1000 years of the Dark Ages.
Aristotle, through Aquinas, gave us the Enlightenment.
Between those two there are not many philosophers who gave half as much.
Do you want the Dark Ages or the Enlightenment?
I choose Aristotle.

Answer 5

John Lennon

Answer 6

William B. Walker of Oxford Mills.

Answer 7

Arguably Plato. His Philosophy has influenced many a men. Aristotle, Plotinus, St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, Descartes; from Descartes philosophy, Berkeley was influenced, John Locke was influenced, David Hume was influenced, Immanuel Kant was inlfuenced. Alfred North Whitehead said that all wester philosophy after Plato are merely footnotes to Plato's philosophy.

Answer 8

Karl Marx
and maybe Jean Paul Satre

Answer 9

Descartes

Answer 10

John Stuart Mill

Answer 11

Hunter Thompson.