Great Thinkers

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

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Subject: Arts × Emotional intelligence ×
Arts
Fela Kuti
1938-1997 · Nigeria
Fela Kuti was a Nigerian musician, bandleader, and political activist. He was born in 1938 in Abeokuta, a city in southwest Nigeria. He died in…
Creative expression Ethical thinking Critical thinking Cultural heritage and identity +1
"Music is the weapon of the future."
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Arts
Ludwig van Beethoven
1770 - 1827 · Germany / Austria
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. He was born in 1770 in Bonn, in what is now Germany. He is one of…
Creative expression Emotional intelligence Problem solving Cultural heritage and identity +1
"Music can change the world."
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Arts
Nina Simone
1933 - 2003 · United States (African American, exiled in Europe in later life)
Nina Simone was an American singer, pianist, and songwriter. Her real name was Eunice Kathleen Waymon. She was born in 1933 in the small town…
Creative expression Ethical thinking Emotional intelligence Cultural heritage and identity +1
"An artist's duty is to reflect the times."
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Arts
Ravi Shankar
1920 - 2012 · India (later based in California)
Ravi Shankar was an Indian musician. He played the sitar, a long-necked string instrument from northern India. He is the most famous Indian classical musician…
Creative expression Cultural heritage and identity Emotional intelligence Research skills +1
"Our music is not entertainment. It is much more."
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Arts
Sin Saimdang
1504-1551 · Korea (Joseon)
Sin Saimdang was a Korean artist, calligrapher, poet, and Confucian scholar of the mid-Joseon period. She is widely regarded as the most accomplished female artist…
Creative expression Cultural heritage and identity Ethical thinking Research skills +1
"Talent alone will not make a good painting. One must first calm oneself, then carefully observe the object to be…"
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Arts
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
1756-1791 · Salzburg (now Austria)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was an Austrian composer. He is one of the most celebrated composers in European classical music. He was born in 1756 in…
Creative expression Emotional intelligence Cultural heritage and identity Critical thinking +1
"I pay no attention whatever to anybody's praise or blame. I simply follow my own feelings."
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