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Who Does Philosophy?

Philosophy is a very old and international discipline. Through time, a lot of diverse individuals have made their mark on philosophy. Below, you can find a brief biography of a group of famous philosophers throughout history. If you’re interested in learning more, read up on them or even pick up one of their original works!

Friedrich Nietzsche

Mustache afficionado and German philosopher, Nietzche is most known for his ideas on the nature of good and evil, religion’s role in society, and his idea of the “Ubermensch,” or “super” man.

Angela Davis

Equal parts philosopher and political activist, when she was young, Davis was an active member of the Black Panthers. As a philosopher, she is best known for her work on issues of race and social philosophy.

Jean-Paul Sartre

Father of the existential crisis, Sartre is most known for his writings on Existentialism, dealing with the nature of existence and freedom. So committed to his philosophy, he once refused a Nobel Prize.

René Descartes

Largely considered the first modern philosopher. Known for “Meditations of First Philosophy,” saying “I think therefore I am,” a response to the idea that he might be followed by an evil demon.

Simone de Beauvoir

A French Existentialist and contemporary of Sartre. de Beauvoir is a famous figure in the field of feminist philosophy, especially The Second Sex in which she critiques the idea of patriarchy.

David Chalmers

With a rocking hairdo and his own rock band (you can find their song “Zombie Blues” on Youtube,) Chalmers works mostly on philosophy of mind and philosophy of language.

Teresa D'Avila

Philosopher, nun, and patron saint of headaches, d’Avila was a Spanish noblewoman known for her book, The Interior Castle in which she writes about mysticism, the self, and the soul.

Hypatia

One of the OG female mathematicians and philosophers, Hypatia became the head of the Platonist school in Alexandria and was respected even by her male contemporaries.

Zera Yacob

An Ethiopian philosopher, Yacob is best known for his work on ethics and morality and especially his theories regarding the nature of harmony in the world, often centered around religion.

Zhuang Zhao

A Chinese philosopher of the warring states period, Zhuang Zhao (aka Chuang Tzu,) is a founding figure of Taoism and one of the authors of the authors of The Inner Chapters.

José Vasconcelos Calderón

Controversial and outspoken, Jose was a Mexican politician and philosopher known for his thoughts on aesthetic monism, the idea of the world as a single cosmic entity, and his thoughts on race in La raza cósmica (The Cosmic Race), where he argued for the merging of all races.

Ibn Sina

The "Preeminent Master" of philosophy in the Islamic world, Ibn Sina is believed to have written over 150 philosophical texts, with a special focus on logic, metaphysics, and ethics.

Friedrich Nietzsche
Angela Davis
Jean-Paul Sartre
David Chalmers
Simone de Beauvoir
Rene Descartes
Teresa D'Avila
Hypatia
Zera Yacob
Zhuang Zhao
Ibn Sina
Jose Vasconcelos

“Friedrich Nietzsche: ‘Hoy no somos el mismo hombre de ayer y mañana volveremos a ser otro.'” by Antonio Marín Segovia is licensed with CC BY-NC-ND 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/. https://www.flickr.com/photos/23465276@N04/19888500939 

"Enclosures: Quotidian Carceralities in the US and Occupied Palestine (Angela Davis)" by Columbia GSAPP is licensed under CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/?ref=openverse.

“Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, Avraham Shlonsky and Leah Goldberg” by Government Press Office (GPO) is licensed with CC BY-NC-SA 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/. https://www.flickr.com/photos/69061470@N05/6470403371

“René Descartes” by pittigliani2005 is licensed with CC BY-NC-ND 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/. https://www.flickr.com/photos/37925259@N00/5832576407

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“David Chalmers, consciousness philosopher” by TEDxSydney is licensed with CC BY-NC-ND 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/. https://www.flickr.com/photos/49663927@N06/5779276537

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"Zera Yacob" by Abesseni, is licensed by CC BY-SA 4.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Zera_Yacob.jpg

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