Introduction
This page is dedicated to philosophers and educators who have changed the world. While there are many throughout history, some teachers will never be known. A good teacher prepares you for the future, but a great teacher leaves a long lasting influence upon you. These ten teachers and philosophers are personal favorites who have held a direct impact on history or have significantly stirred a change within society. Links will be provided to informative sites.
GandhiGandhi was an anti-war activist and the head of India's independence movement during the 19th century. He fought against British imperialism and the Hindu caste system through civil-disobedience and non-violence. The pacifist was shot and killed in 1948 because of his acceptance for Muslims in India. He has inspired the likes of other civil leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela
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Jesus ChristJesus Christ is a part of the Holy Trinity, and a center to the Christian religion. Jesus arrived as God's son on earth, and his stories in the Bible depict him as a miracle worker who heals the blind and raises the dead. Jesus built a massive following and formed a group of 12 disciples alongside himself who carried his messages of love and salvation after his time on earth past. For the last 2000 years, his teachings have been an integral part to history and the forming of Western civilization.
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PlatoPlato, born Aristocles, is one of the greatest philosophers all time. He was the student of Socrates and the teacher of Aristotle. Plato believed healthy emotion came from the soul which he taught was reason, spirit, and appetite. He held the belief a good life came from this health emotion and a set of good morals. He is best known for his founding of the Academy in ancient Greece, his writings in the Republic, and stressed importance of metaphysical sciences. He advanced discussions in ares of but not limited to politics, theology, cosmology, and mathematics.
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ConfuciusConfucius is the greatest Chinese philosopher who has ever existed. During a time of moral decline in China, his teachings provided hope and have been followed by portions of Eastern Asia to this day. His teachings, known as Confucianism, became a state philosophy in China. Through his "six arts" he strove to show others the importance of education and to live with dignity. He stressed leaders should lead by a positive example with self discipline, and he also reinforced the "golden rule" (do not do to others what you would not want done to you.)
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Mark TwainMark Twain, real name Samuel Clemens, is an American author and poet who wrote literary classics such as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. His regionalism writing style satirized romantic-era authors and his capitative storytelling makes his books enjoyable for all ages. He used his books as a voice against slavery and his pages had many insightful thoughts which reached beyond American politics into the themes of everyday life.
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AristotleAristotle is an Ancient Greek philosopher who was a student of Plato. He made advancements to the realms of metaphysics, logic, medicine, and more. Simply called "The Philosopher"," he created a rationalized sense of reasoning that looked at intrinsic qualities of objects and rejected Plato's form theories. His works used an early form of the scientific method which he wrote down in his treatises. Despite writing over 200 treatises, only 31 have survived. Similarly to his master Plato, he started an academy in Athens, Greece called the Lyceum.
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