Great Thinkers

Meet the great minds whose ideas have shaped the world — philosophers, scientists, artists, leaders, and revolutionaries whose thinking still matters today.

Filter by subject area
Biology 5 Chemistry 6 Physics 5 Mathematics 14 Medicine & Health 7 Technology & Engineering 7 Psychology 2
Philosophy 48 History 14 Literature 40 Language & Linguistics 5 Arts 11
Anthropology & Culture 7 Sociology 7 Religion 12 Education 8 Politics 20
Law 10 Economics 8 Business & Management 7
5 thinkers
Clear all filters
Subject: Literature × Era: Early Modern ×
Literature
Aphra Behn
c. 1640-1689 · England
Aphra Behn was an English writer. She is the first woman known to have earned her living by writing in English. Almost every fact about…
Creative expression Critical thinking Cultural heritage and identity Ethical thinking +1
"All women together ought to let flowers fall upon the tomb of Aphra Behn... for it was she who earned…"
Meet this Thinker →
Literature
John Milton
1608 - 1674 · England
John Milton was an English poet, political writer, and government official. He wrote one of the greatest poems in the English language, Paradise Lost. He…
Creative expression Ethical thinking Critical thinking Research skills +1
"Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven."
Meet this Thinker →
Literature
Mary Shelley
1797-1851 · England
Mary Shelley (1797-1851) was an English novelist whose Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus, written when she was eighteen years old, is widely regarded as the…
Creative expression Ethical thinking Critical thinking Scientific thinking +1
"Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge."
Meet this Thinker →
Literature
Mary Wollstonecraft
1759–1797 · England, Britain
Mary Wollstonecraft (1759–1797) was a British writer, philosopher, and early advocate for women's rights. She grew up in poverty and educated herself by reading widely…
Critical thinking Critical literacy Intercultural competence Resilience
"I do not wish women to have power over men, but over themselves."
Meet this Thinker →
Literature
Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz
1648-1695 · New Spain (Mexico)
Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz (1648-1695) was a poet, dramatist, scholar, and nun of colonial New Spain, widely regarded as the finest writer of…
Critical thinking Creative expression Cultural heritage and identity Ethical thinking +1
"I do not study in order to write, nor still less to teach, but only to see whether by studying…"
Meet this Thinker →