BBC Online Poll for the Greatest Thinker of the last 1000 Years

I would like readers of this blog to let me know who they consider to be greatest thinker of the last 1000 years. The person you nominate must have relevance for issues in today's world.

Personally, my nominations are:

1. John Stuart Mill
2. Sigmund Freud
3. Ralph Waldo Emerson
4. Ayn Rand
5. Karl Marx

 John Stuart Mill's essay 'On Liberty' is to me the greatest secular work on the subject of individual liberty ever written. I consider individual liberty to be the most important aspect of moden life.

Mill's essay starts like this:

THE SUBJECT of this Essay is not the so-called Liberty of the Will, so unfortunately opposed to the misnamed doctrine of Philosophical Necessity; but Civil, or Social Liberty: the nature and limits of the power which can be legitimately exercised by society over the individual. A question seldom stated, and hardly ever discussed, in general terms, but which profoundly influences the practical controversies of the age by its latent presence, and is likely soon to make itself recognised as the vital question of the future. It is so far from being new, that, in a certain sense, it has divided mankind, almost from the remotest ages; but in the stage of progress into which the more civilized portions of the species have now entered, it presents itself under new conditions, and requires a different and more fundamental treatment.

1

The struggle between Liberty and Authority is the most conspicuous feature in the portions of history with which we are earliest familiar...

The whole essay can be found here: http://www.bartleby.com/130/


Ayn Rand is probably the exact opposite of Marx (ideologically). I respect both thinkers a lot and I always consider their works as food for further thought rather than the last word on a subject. I disagree with a lot of Marx's and Rand's prescriptions for society but I cannot ignore them. I am in agreement with most of their descriptions of the inadequacies of society as we know it. I have very high regard for Marx as a foremost thinker who is probably the most influential intellectual legislator of the last century.


In September 1999, BBC News Online users voted for the greatest thinker of the last thousand years. They voted overwhelming for Karl Marx.

From the BBC Website.....


Marx the millennium's 'greatest thinker'

Karl Marx: Controversial revolutionary ideas

Revolutionary writer Karl Marx has topped a BBC News Online poll to find the greatest thinker of the millennium.
The nineteenth century writer won September's vote with a clear margin, pushing Albert Einstein, who had led for most of the month, into second place. The top 10 included philosophers Immanuel Kant and Rene Descartes as well as twentieth century scientist Stephen Hawking.






Karl Marx is probably the most influential socialist thinker to emerge in the nineteenth century and one of the founders of communism. Although dictatorships throughout the twentieth century have distorted his original ideas, his work as a philosopher, social scientist, historian and a revolutionary is respected by academics today. Karl Heinrich Marx (1818-1883) was born into a middle-class family in Germany, but he became a revolutionary in Paris, Brussels and London. He met the like-minded Friedrich Engels (1820-1895) in France. Together they wrote The Communist Manifesto, which outlined the theory of the class struggle. Marx was exiled from Paris and Brussels for his revolutionary activities and settled in London where he lived until his death. Amongst Marx's other influential works are the Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts, which remained unpublished until the 1930s, and the monumental work Das Kapital. BBC News Online readers from across the world took part in the millennium poll. Dag Thoresen from Norway, said: "Karl Marx has inspired thousands of liberation struggles. He was the father of modern political thinking." And Jyotsna Kapur from the USA said: "Marx analysed best the working of capitalism. Given that that is the system that characterises the world at the end of the twentieth century his work is as relevant to understanding the world we live in as it was for understanding the nineteenth century."
BBC Website 'Millenium's Greatest Thinker'

Musings on 'Purpose' 'Calling' and 'Vocation'

Hajara Pitan posted an excellent write-up on her blog titled ‘What on Earth Am I Here for?”
She wrote about the importance of being ‘authentic’ reaching out for the real you, making a difference, living not just for yourself…
I made a few comments regarding the proper definition of ‘purpose’ and the relationship between ‘purpose’ ‘calling’ and ‘vocation’ which is often mixed up but worth seperating to shed useful light. Here is my comment:

I see (1) purpose, (2) calling and (3) vocation as interrelated but distinct issues. These three are often lumped togther under ‘purpose’ but I think seperating them should shed more light.

(1) ‘purpose’ for me is is more of a general concept: ‘what something has been created for’ it must be simple and easy to explain. A bus is created for transportation, to carry people and things. (2) ‘calling’ for me is more specific, it has more to do with unique gifting and goals. An airport shuttle bus is ‘called’ to carry passengers from the the departure lounge towards the plane. That is all it does and it is specially made to do that. (3) ‘vocation’ is more personal and has to do with choice, enjoyment and past-time experience. An airport bus could have a really good stereo system and inner lights and the manufacturer could offer it to be used for airport workers to relax inside, listen to music and and even sleep inside at night in addition to it's primary use as a shuttle bus.

Without writing too much I propose that issues such as ‘character’ ‘personality’ and ‘spiritual development/formation’ fall into the ‘purpose’ category. For those of the Christian, Islam, Judaic faiths, ‘purpose’ is the same for every human being and that is to project a God-like character. Living beyond yourself. This purpose is the foundation for ‘calling’ and ‘vocation’.

‘Calling’ for a human is that which you are specifically gifted for, burdened about or that which you were trained for. Finding this may be simple or may require a lot of soul-searching.

‘Vocation’ is what you enjoy doing, brings you joy and a past-time experience.

All 3 are required for a fufilled life.

 

Hajara’s blog post can be found here: http://hajelpitan.com/2013/11/03/what-on-earth-am-i-here-for/comment-page-1/

 

 Hajara Pitan says:Fantastic comment dear Uyi. I appreciate how analytical you are. While I generally agree with you, I differ on some points, I believe that the whole of humanity has a purpose for which we were created and in a general sense, that would be to glorify God (for those of us with religious persuasions), but each individual has a unique and separate purpose. What were you created to do as a person. How in your own individual way will you bring glory to God? In what way will you do it most effectively (because you can find expression of your purpose at various levels and in different ways, there is a way/ways that are most efficient and effective for you as a person that is distinct from the person next to you). I then think your vocation and your calling are vehicles through which you express that purpose, they are also tools towards finding or fine-tuning your understanding of your individual purpose. The dictionary defines “vocation” as a strong feeling of suitability for a particular career or occupation” and calling as “a string urge towards a particular way of life or career or vocation”. I don’t feel like we are limited to particular vocations as a result of purpose, I think that with a proper understanding of purpose, whatever job or vocation you are currently engaged in, can be used as a vehicle to express purpose. I don’t believe purpose should wait till you find an appropriate vocation to express it. More important though is “working” these things out, being engaged in self-examination, being mindful that you are not on earth for nothing, you are here because no one else could bring what you can and so you are meant to contribute your uniqueness, your insight,yourself- to humanity. And while you are on the journey, not to be paralyzed by analysis, don’t say “I haven’t found my purpose yet, so I won’t try so and so”, experiment! Live life, find expression, be your best you and as you engage in that journey slowly, surely you begin to find more of you, find what makes you feel truly alive.Thanks Uyi for stopping by, I’m afraid my response may be longer than the post itself. Lol! I am just passionate about this. I have 2 other posts on purpose in my “How high can you go series” I would like to hear your thoughts on those as well. When iron sharpens iron, sparks fly but they both come out sharper.

uyiosaomoregie says:

Hajara, I’m enjoying this. I love this that you wrote “…you are here because no one else could bring what you can and so you are meant to contribute your uniqueness, your insight, yourself- to humanity. And while you are on the journey, not to be paralyzed by analysis, don’t say “I haven’t found my purpose yet, so I won’t try so and so…”
This is very insightful stuff. I agree about the importance of a person contributing something unique to humanity. But I would not call that the ‘purpose’ of that human being. I am careful not to use the word ‘purpose’ that way, I would rather call this a ‘life-mission’ or ‘life-work’ or even ‘life-contribution’. I prefer to use the word ‘calling’ but not in the limited dictionary definition you quoted.
For me ‘purpose’ for a human being must be linked to the reason for being created, the reason why you are alive, why are you a human ‘being’ rather than a human ‘doing’?
What is a human? The same answer should suffice for every human being…this is ‘purpose’. The starting point to define ‘purpose’ should be ‘what does it mean to be a human being (regardless of your race, colour, age, education)?’
In my terrible analogy concerning an airport shuttle bus, the purpose of the airport shuttle bus is the same purpose for every bus of any size or shape all over the world: to transport things (be it people or objects).
For the airport shuttle bus to “…be here because no one else could bring what you can and so you are meant to contribute your uniqueness, your insight, yourself- to humanity…” would be for the bus to transform itself to a shuttle bus and fulfilling its mission on Earth ! But it would still be fundamentally a bus, purpose unchanged.
In summary: purpose is the same for every human being, but life-work/life-mission will differ. In fact a person can be created for 2 or even 3 ‘callings’ in one life-time but his/her purpose (reason for ‘being’) is never changing and remains only one.

   

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