Well of course I'm partial to the Buddhists, but not many Westerners are going to know them (other than the Buddha himself). Nagarjuna and Dogen Zenji would get top votes from me.

Depends on what you mean and how you measure. If you mean the greatest thinker or the person right about the greatest number of philosophical subjects - could be someone we never heard of who did not write anything we know about. Being smart and right does not make you famous or memorable. If you mean "who had the greatest impact on the thinking of the greatest number of people?" - arguably Jesus of Nazareth whose life and teachings are significant to about a billion people identified as Christians and another billion identified as muslims (Islam typically recognizes Jesus as a great prophet). Some would argue that Jesus was not a technical philosopher - that's where the "what you mean and how you measure" comes in. You could make a case for Marx or Nietzsche for their influence on the great powers of the 20th century. You could make different cases a dozen different ways. The obvious answer is God. if typical concepts of God are correct, He is right about everything, knows everything and has all wisdom. Hard to beat that. Of course some will argue that we can't prove God even exists - but then some philosophers would argue that you can't prove you exist either. A solipsist would surely answer: "Me, of course!" Expect no consensus on this one.

lthough there are thousands of great philosphers throughout history my personal favorite was Socrates. His unorthodoxed methods were revolutionary. I loved his ideas and the way he portrayed them...refusing to write and only speak, asking questions as an answer, the man pushed the social boundaries of his time and paved the way for all the great philosophers after him.

It's a close call between Aristotle, Socrates and me.

Plato,he was a genius.

That one who had every last bit of his writtings burned up during the crusades - he was going to be the one who saved mankind.

Neal Diamond without a doubt.

Mark Twain

yo momma

Socrates

Alan Watts is my hero. I trust him to set me straight on most things, even though he is long dead and can only ramble on from the grave in the Alan Watts podcasts. He'll deciper Eastern and Western thought for you with his whisky-soaked chuckle and leave you feeling like you were getting all upset about the demise of civilization for no real reason. I like Voltaire's take on things too.

Socrates Plato Aristotle Too many more modern ones to go through. Christ was also a philospher

Bruce Lee

My Dad... he said stuff like," There is more than one way to skin a cat besides stickin' his head in a bootjack and yankin' on his tail", and "If you could kick the ass of the person most responsible for your problems, you would have a sore ass",,,and "Those that ride the fence get blisters on their ass", "And you can lead a drunk to the bar, but you cant make him buy a round", and "Just because you go to the farm, doesnt mean you have to waller with the pigs",,,,,,, Yep, he was a philosopher of magnatude.

Jiddu Krishnamurti of the modern era. Shakyamuni Buddha of the ancient era...gets the edge.

Marlene Dietrich......no, really!!! she wrote "MARLENE DIETRICH'S ABCS" AND it's a gem........try to find a copy or read it online......great stuff from a great lady who saw it all!!

Homer Simpson.