Who is YOUR favorite? what drew you into philosophy? When was your first in-depth thoughtful conversation that lasted hours?

Bertrand Russell-hismathematical brilliance.

richard feynman.

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Peter Singer. A hedonistic utilitarian whose views tend to incite controversy on account of they challenge current unethical traditions that a lot of people are comfortable with and don't want to give up.

I also love the fact that he focuses on practical, contemporary moral concepts and doesn't use intimidating language.

"All the particular moral judgments we intuitively make are likely to derive from discarded religious systems, from warped views of sex and bodily functions, or from customs necessary for the survival of the group in social and economic circumstances that now lie in the distant past."

"The traditional view of the sanctity of human life will collapse under pressure from scientific, technological and demographic developments."

"Racists violate the principle of equality by giving greater weight to the interests of members of their own race when there is a clash between their interests and the interests of those of another race. Sexists violate the principle of equality by favoring the interests of their own sex. Similarly, speciesists allow the interests of their own species to override the greater interests of members of other species. The pattern is identical in each case."

For more info: [en.m.wikipedia.org]

Karl Popper and Daniel Dennett

Socrates to me and his influences. Socrates' Socratic methods makes me consider the origin of natural knowledge versus academic knowledge. Whether our ability(brain equity) is limited by our cognition and interpretation or it's understanding of new information. Or are we limited by it(brain) itself. If most genius' I.Q.'s range from 160-230: What would a man or woman with an IQ of 300 think of?

Chris Hitchens. His rich knowledge and unbiased interpretation of history, religion and current events. Didn't self-identify as a "philosopher".

There are quite a few but Spinoza keeps popping up.

Socrates. The man's integrity outlasted the man himself.

Marcus Aurelius

His humanity and realism for the time period.

I have to admit that to chose my faviourite philosopher is not easy, however, it would have to be Bertrand Russell because he possessed an excellent sense of logic coupled with an equally excellent sense of humour.

Socrates. For seeing further than anyone else had and leaving Plato to write it all down.

Machiavelli. Although I can't pinpoint the reason now other than he got things done. I found him freshman year in college in my Philosophy 101 course--the best course of my college career

Burl Ives as the villain in "Wind Across the Everglades" "I live by the law of the swamp, eat or be et."

Jean Paul Sartre, His philosophy is so clear, direct, and lacking in metaphysical mumbo-jumbo.

Ken Wilbur His book "Sex, Ecology, Spirituality has become my bible!

Bertrand Russel and Noam Chomsky. What makes them stand out in my opinion is that they not only contributed a lot to their respective fields but that they also try/tried to use their influence politically for the right cause.

Edmund Husserl. He invented phenomenology separating consciousness from the things it was directed at separating physical and mental being based on intentionality, articulated that being in time is limited by mortal boundaries, and heavily influenced the direction of Heidegger (the nazi, but a clear phenomenologist) and Sartre's existentialism (pour soi vs. en soi) . Though he was not strictly a philosopher, I also admire Thorstein Veblen, who advanced institutionalism as a valid school of economic thought, and was the most vocal non-marxist critic of capitalism and the inherent problem with production purely for profit. I probably oversimplified, but it's been a while, and this is a limited forum.

Karl Pilkington