Philosophers who shaped Western thought and whom we should read

Francis Bacon is considered one of the founders of modern empiricism and a pioneer of experimental science, laying the foundations for the scientific method and the idea that knowledge should be useful for practical life.

• Founder of modern experimental science

• Father of modern empiricism

• He influenced Hobbes and Locke

Nietzsche challenged the foundations of Western morality and proposed a new valuation of values. His concept of the will to power and his critique of traditional metaphysics have had a lasting impact on philosophy and culture.

• Focuses on individual achievement

• Focuses on subjective reality

• Offers a critique of modernity

• Ideas on morality and the human condition are still relevant

Hegel is considered one of the leading figures in Western philosophy and the foremost representative of German idealism, with a profound influence on modern thought about the State, society, and history.

• One of the great representatives of idealism in Germany

• One of the most important philosophers in the history of thought

• An influential theorist in universal thought since the 19th century

• Systematic approach

Marx, influenced by Hegel, developed dialectical materialism and laid the foundations for the critical analysis of society, economics, and politics, profoundly influencing the thinking of the 19th and 20th centuries.

• Astute analyst of capitalism

• Influential in socialist movements

Although not directly mentioned in the context, it is indicated that Kierkegaard influenced notable philosophers such as Jean-Paul Sartre, who is a key figure in existentialism and Western thought.

• Father of existentialism

• Influential figure of the 20th century

• He asserts that human beings are the creators of their own existence.

• He believed that human beings are condemned to be free.

Saint Augustine of Hippo is considered the first major philosopher of the Christian era and a Doctor of the Church, whose teachings on faith, reason, and the nature of God have shaped Western thought.

• He argues that human beings are rational entities.

• A philosophical climb to the highest peaks of thought

• Most influential philosopher of the High Middle Ages

• He defended the idea that truth and reason are compatible with faith.

Thomas Aquinas is considered one of the most influential philosophers and theologians in the history of Western thought, standing out for his synthesis between Christian faith and Aristotelian philosophy, and for his development of natural theology and the "five ways" for the existence of God.

• Commentaries on Aristotle's works boosted his popularity

• Important empiricist in the Aristotelian tradition

• He influenced the development of Western philosophy

• He reconciled reason and faith

Kant revolutionized philosophy with his Critique of Pure Reason, which explores the limits of human knowledge and lays the foundation for transcendental philosophy. His deontological ethics and his influence on modern philosophy are immense.

• Systematic works in metaphysics

• Influential figure in modern Western philosophy

• Highly discussed figure in modern Western philosophy

Socrates, although he wrote nothing, is essential for his method of questioning and his emphasis on self-awareness and virtue. His influence on Plato and Western ethics is undeniable.

• Established schools that formulated Western Philosophy

• Inspired Plato, founder of the Western philosophical tradition

• Taught the value of morality, bravery, kindness, and loyalty

• Introduced the value of human life

David Hume is one of the most influential philosophers of the empiricist tradition and the Enlightenment, known for his profound impact on empiricism, skepticism, and naturalism. His application of empiricism to classical philosophical notions and his questioning of causality make him an essential figure for understanding Western thought.

• Leading figure of the English Enlightenment

• Influential thinker in philosophy

Aristotle, a disciple of Plato, is crucial for his logic, ethics, and politics. His empirical and systematic approach influenced medieval science and philosophy, and his works remain relevant today.

• Created a framework for critical thinking

• Developed a systematic method of reasoning

John Locke was an influential 17th-century English philosopher, considered one of the fathers of empiricism and political liberalism. His ideas on inalienable rights and the separation of powers laid the foundations for the Enlightenment and modern political thought.

• Defender of property rights

• Leading representative of English empiricism

• Father of classical liberalism

• Founder of political liberalism

Thomas Hobbes is a pivotal figure in Western political philosophy, known for his work 'Leviathan' and his theories on the social contract and human nature, which remain influential today.

• Central figure of Western political philosophy

• Considered one of the founders of contractualism

Plato is fundamental for his theory of Forms and his influence on Western metaphysics and epistemology. His dialogues explore justice, beauty, and knowledge, laying the groundwork for subsequent philosophical thought.

• Founded the Academy

• Developed the Theory of Forms

• Emphasized reason

• Envisioned an ideal state

Søren Kierkegaard is considered the father of existentialism and a pivotal figure in Western thought, whose ideas about freedom, choice, and faith continue to be profoundly influential.

• It influenced modern theology

• It influenced existentialism

• It influenced postmodernism

• He left an indelible mark on the modern understanding of anguish.

Ludwig Wittgenstein is one of the most important and influential philosophers of the 20th century, known for initiating the "linguistic turn" in philosophy and for his radical proposals in the "Tractatus" and the "Philosophical Investigations." His analysis of language as a logical mirror of the world and his focus on conceptual and linguistic analysis make him a pivotal figure in Western thought.

• The linguistic turn began

• Influential in contemporary philosophy

Martin Heidegger is a central figure in 20th-century philosophy, known for his profound exploration of the concept of Being and his influence on existentialism and phenomenology. His work addresses fundamental questions about human existence, technology, and metaphysics, making him essential reading for understanding modern Western thought.

• German philosopher, essayist, and poet.

Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz was a polymath whose work spanned metaphysics, logic, mathematics, theology, and politics, profoundly influencing the development of Western thought. His contributions to symbolic logic and his philosophical optimism, expressed in the idea of the "best of all possible worlds", make him a key figure in understanding the evolution of Western philosophy.

• It occupies a privileged place in mathematics

• It occupies a privileged place in philosophy

• It occupies a privileged place in science

• It occupies a privileged place in the history of European culture

Spinoza is fundamental because he revolutionized philosophy by introducing a radical rationalist system that questioned traditional notions of God, nature, and the human being, profoundly influencing subsequent ethical and political thought.

• Father of modern rationalist philosophy

René Descartes is considered the father of modern philosophy and rationalism, revolutionizing knowledge with his method of methodical doubt and establishing reason as the source of certainty. His contributions to analytic geometry and substantial dualism profoundly influenced Western thought.

• Important contributions in the field of science

• Philosophical modernity began by changing the criteria of truth

• He based knowledge on the use of reason

• The foremost representative of rational thought