Which philosopher has been your greatest influence?

[MaC]

My math teacher.

nerd   

[Sam Spade]

Johnny Cash

Another excellent choice. 

[Cubby]

Noam Chomsky

others: John Locke, Rousseau, John Stuart Mill, Sartre, Nietzsche

[CheeseWhiz]

Yoda

[ilikeverin]

Philosophy is even more impractical than (advanced) mathematics.

It is in every way as important as mathematics

Precisely my point.  It's not.

[minionofmidas]

That said, I would like to know more about John Stuart Mill.

All you need to know about John Stuart Mill is that he was chiefly a translator from the French (although he sold his translations as his own works) rather than a thinker.

[AuH2O]

Marx

I love these marxists. Especially since Marx himself basically admitted most of what he wrote was pure BS; Das Kapital he called "pure excretement" even after several editions.

[MaC]

waiting for Killerpollo to say "Hitler" 

[Storebought]

I think philosophy is mostly bunk, but I do have favorite thinkers. In order:

[muon2]

Socrates, Mill, and taking a cue from J.J., Asimov.

[Ben.]

Probably…

Robert Nozick as while I disagree with his conclusions, his underlying assumptions seem pretty coherent and more importantly accurate to me, certainly in the great division between Nozick’s libertarianism and John Rawls’ socialist approach I tend to agree more with Nozick not that Rawls, great thinker that he was, was not without some sound and credible ideas of his own IMO.  

In terms of contemporary intellectuals (they don’t like to be called philosophers these days), its really a strange mix, on foreign policy I agree a great deal with leading neo-conservatives (though I think that label is neither helpful nor accurate) such as Richard Perle and Michael Novak and on the other hand do find a lot to agree with in the revisionist writings of Anthony Giddens, though I would like to see these ideas developed in a more radical direction…
  
Also in broader terms, when it comes to philosophy, I have a great fondness for Kierkegaard, who’s entire approach and philosophical narrative have appealed to me, I would also argue that as a fan of Kierkergaard I also have a great respect for Hagel, or while dry is incredibly important in understanding pretty much any works of European philosophy from the nineteenth century onwards.      

[Ben.]

Noam Chomsky

Out of interest your view on his denials that the Cambodian killing field ever took place? And that really Pol Pot was a rather nice guy… sorry but I have a deep disliking for the guy, and more to the point think he’s not only overrated but he’s pretty much on a bar with the charlatans who pretend the holocaust didn’t happen.   

[Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon]

At the risk of adding fuel to the thread about me, Jfern, and Bush....

Jesus Christ would be my favorite philosopher.

[The Constitarian]

Voltaire, Jefferson

[MaC]

At the risk of adding fuel to the thread about me, Jfern, and Bush....

Jesus Christ would be my favorite philosopher.

Jfern and Bush are philosophers?
I thought one was president and the other didn't think that that one was president.  Nothing philosophical about that.

[JohnFKennedy]

In rough order:

1. George Santayana

You don't believe that bunk about history repeating itself do you?

Anyway mine would be Locke, Paine and Mill probably, though I'd like to learn more about Nozick, I only know a small amount about his challenges to the work of Rawls.

[Bono]

In rough order:

1. George Santayana

You don't believe that bunk about history repeating itself do you?

Anyway mine would be Locke, Paine and Mill probably, though I'd like to learn more about Nozick, I only know a small amount about his challenges to the work of Rawls.

All you need to know was that he was an idiot who thought all states evolved in the way he thought they should and used that as an argument against anarchy, when in fact there are few, if any, states that have evolved in the Nozickian manner.

[Cubby]

Noam Chomsky

Out of interest your view on his denials that the Cambodian killing field ever took place? And that really Pol Pot was a rather nice guy… sorry but I have a deep disliking for the guy, and more to the point think he’s not only overrated but he’s pretty much on a bar with the charlatans who pretend the holocaust didn’t happen.   

Its not like I know all his beliefs, I've only read one of his books. So I'm not familiar with his views on Pol Pot. I just like Chomsky b/c he hates Bush, but more importantly isn't afraid to show it. If he has any crazy views like Alan Dershowitz's stupid torture arguement then I wouldn't respect him as much.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Alan Dershowitz's stupid torture arguement

What was that?

[Citizen James]

Albert Einstien and Thomas Jefferson.

Actually I pull philosphy from a variety of places (Including, but far from limited to): Jesus, J Michael Strazinski, Gene Rodenbery, Popeye TSM (I yam what I yam), Mark Twain, Dave Berry, Carl Sagan, Mother Theresa, Gandhi, Volitare, Locke, Nietzche, Emerson, Fred Rogers, Sid Meier, and everybodies favorite author - anonomous.

[ATFFL]

Noam Chomsky

Out of interest your view on his denials that the Cambodian killing field ever took place? And that really Pol Pot was a rather nice guy… sorry but I have a deep disliking for the guy, and more to the point think he’s not only overrated but he’s pretty much on a bar with the charlatans who pretend the holocaust didn’t happen.   

Its not like I know all his beliefs, I've only read one of his books. So I'm not familiar with his views on Pol Pot. I just like Chomsky b/c he hates Bush, but more importantly isn't afraid to show it. If he has any crazy views like Alan Dershowitz's stupid torture arguement then I wouldn't respect him as much.

For the love of . . .

I am pretty sure Saddam does not like W.  He certainly isn't afraid to show it.  Do you like him for that?  Or do his other views reduce him?

[Beet]

Jesus Christ and Ayn Rand have both had great influences on me, though in practice the latter has more often than not been Nathaniel Branden.

Anything derived from social contract theory I tend to be highly suspicious of.

[Cubby]

Noam Chomsky

Out of interest your view on his denials that the Cambodian killing field ever took place? And that really Pol Pot was a rather nice guy… sorry but I have a deep disliking for the guy, and more to the point think he’s not only overrated but he’s pretty much on a bar with the charlatans who pretend the holocaust didn’t happen.   

Its not like I know all his beliefs, I've only read one of his books. So I'm not familiar with his views on Pol Pot. I just like Chomsky b/c he hates Bush, but more importantly isn't afraid to show it. If he has any crazy views like Alan Dershowitz's stupid torture arguement then I wouldn't respect him as much.

For the love of . . .

I am pretty sure Saddam does not like W.  He certainly isn't afraid to show it.  Do you like him for that?  Or do his other views reduce him?

Oh please excuse my lazy philosophical thinking, I'm sorry to not be on the Ayn Rand/Milton Friedman train to neo-con land

Philosophy isn't really an area that interests me, that is why I don't know all the details of Chomsky's theories, if I had the time, maybe I'd learn more.

[Bono]

I'm sorry to not be on the Ayn Rand/Milton Friedman train to neo-con land

Neo-cons are influenced by Trosky and social-democrats, not Friedman or Rand(except maybe Rand on foreign policy, though not even many neo-cons support nuking the middle east).

[Cubby]

I'm sorry to not be on the Ayn Rand/Milton Friedman train to neo-con land

Neo-cons are influenced by Trosky and social-democrats, not Friedman or Rand(except maybe Rand on foreign policy, though not even many neo-cons support nuking the middle east).

Once again I am foiled by my own stupidity.

If you meant Trotsky that would be really strange, since he was a communist, a different branch if I recall.