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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Education
Confucius
551-479 BCE · China, East Asia
Confucius (551-479 BCE) was a Chinese thinker, teacher, and social philosopher. His Chinese name was Kong Qiu, and he is also known as Kongzi, meaning…
Ethical thinking Relationships and communication Leadership Citizenship +1
"Is it not pleasant to learn with a constant perseverance and application? Is it not delightful to have friends coming…"
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Philosophy
Kwame Gyekye
1939-2019 · Ghana, West Africa
Kwame Gyekye (1939-2019) was a Ghanaian philosopher. He was born in Kumasi, Ghana, and studied philosophy at the University of Ghana and Harvard University. He…
Ethical thinking Cultural heritage and identity Citizenship Relationships and communication +1
"The communal life is not an optional extra for the human individual. It is the context in which the individual…"
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Philosophy
María Lugones
1944-2020 · Argentina / United States
María Lugones (1944-2020) was an Argentine-American philosopher. She was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and moved to the United States as a young woman, where…
Cultural heritage and identity Relationships and communication Ethical thinking Citizenship +1
"I am a being in multiple worlds and I travel among them, feeling at ease in some of them, not…"
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Philosophy
Mogobe Ramose
1944-present · South Africa, Southern Africa
Mogobe Ramose (born 1944) is a South African philosopher. He was born in the North West Province of South Africa and grew up under the…
Ethical thinking Citizenship Cultural heritage and identity Leadership +1
"Ubuntu is the basis of African philosophy. The Nguni Bantu expression umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu means that to be human is…"
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Philosophy
Simone de Beauvoir
1908-1986 · France, Western Europe
Simone de Beauvoir (1908-1986) was a French philosopher, novelist, and feminist thinker. She was born in Paris and studied philosophy at the Sorbonne, where she…
Ethical thinking Cultural heritage and identity Critical thinking Relationships and communication +1
"One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman."
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