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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109 thinkers
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Creative expression × Page 5 of 5
Technology & Engineering
Timnit Gebru
1982/1983 - present · Ethiopia (later United States)
Timnit Gebru is an Ethiopian-American computer scientist. She is one of the most important researchers in the field of AI ethics. Her work has shown…
Scientific thinking Ethical thinking Critical thinking Research skills +1
"We can't take care of all of the problems with our technology by hoping for the best."
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Anthropology & Culture
Umm Kulthum
c. 1898 - 1975 · Egypt
Umm Kulthum was an Egyptian singer. She was probably the most famous Arab cultural figure of the 20th century. She was born around 1898 in…
Creative expression Cultural heritage and identity Emotional intelligence Critical thinking +1
"Sing a beautiful song with a strong meaning, and the people will love you."
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Literature
Ursula K. Le Guin
1929-2018 · United States
Ursula Kroeber Le Guin was an American novelist, essayist, and poet. She is one of the most important writers of science fiction and fantasy in…
Creative expression Critical thinking Ethical thinking Cultural heritage and identity +1
"We live in capitalism. Its power seems inescapable. So did the divine right of kings. Any human power can be…"
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Philosophy
V. Y. Mudimbe
1941-2025 · Democratic Republic of the Congo (later United States)
Valentin-Yves Mudimbe was a Congolese philosopher, novelist, and linguist. He was one of the most important African thinkers of the late 20th century. He was…
Critical thinking Cultural heritage and identity Research skills Ethical thinking +1
"There exists an African way of interpreting the world which presents the universe as a totality."
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Literature
Vine Deloria Jr.
1933 - 2005 · United States (Standing Rock Sioux)
Vine Deloria Jr. was a Native American scholar, writer, and activist. He was the most influential Native American intellectual of the 20th century. His books…
Critical thinking Ethical thinking Cultural heritage and identity Research skills +1
"We are the only humans who became Indians."
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Literature
Virginia Woolf
1882-1941 · England
Virginia Woolf was an English novelist, essayist, and literary critic. She is one of the most important writers of the 20th century. She was born…
Creative expression Critical thinking Cultural heritage and identity Emotional intelligence +1
"A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction."
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Philosophy
Wang Yangming
1472 - 1529 · Ming dynasty China
Wang Yangming was a Chinese philosopher, scholar, and military general. He is one of the most important Confucian thinkers of the second millennium CE. His…
Ethical thinking Critical thinking Creative expression Emotional intelligence +1
"There is a sage in every person, but they do not believe in themselves and so they bury this sage."
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Politics
Wangari Maathai
1940-2011 · Kenya
Wangari Muta Maathai was a Kenyan environmental activist, scientist, and politician. In 2004 she became the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.…
Ethical thinking Problem solving Scientific thinking Cultural heritage and identity +1
"It is the little things citizens do. That's what will make the difference. My little thing is planting trees."
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Arts
Wassily Kandinsky
1866-1944 · Russia / Germany / France
Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944) was a Russian painter and art theorist usually credited as one of the pioneers of abstract painting in the European tradition. He…
Creative expression Scientific thinking Critical thinking Cultural heritage and identity +1
"Colour is a power which directly influences the soul."
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Arts
Zaha Hadid
1950 - 2016 · Iraq (later United Kingdom)
Zaha Hadid was an Iraqi-British architect. She was one of the most important architects of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. She was the…
Creative expression Problem solving Scientific thinking Cultural heritage and identity +1
"I don't believe in a 'female sensibility' in architecture. I think there are women who design well, just like there…"
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Philosophy
Zera Yacob
c. 1599-c. 1692 · Ethiopia
Zera Yacob was an Ethiopian philosopher of the seventeenth century. His main work is a short book called the Hatata, which means 'inquiry' or 'investigation'.…
Critical thinking Ethical thinking Research skills Cultural heritage and identity +1
"All men are equal in the presence of God; and all are intelligent since they are his creatures."
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Philosophy
Zhu Xi
1130-1200 · China
Zhu Xi was a Chinese philosopher, teacher, and government official of the Southern Song dynasty. He was born on 18 October 1130 in Youxi, in…
Ethical thinking Critical thinking Research skills Cultural heritage and identity +1
"If we wish to extend our knowledge to the utmost, we must investigate the principles of all things we come…"
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Philosophy
Zhuangzi
c. 369-286 BCE · China
Zhuangzi was a Chinese philosopher of the 4th century BCE. His name means 'Master Zhuang'. His personal name was Zhuang Zhou. He lived during a…
Critical thinking Creative expression Emotional intelligence Ethical thinking +1
"Once Zhuang Zhou dreamed he was a butterfly, a butterfly flitting and fluttering around, happy with himself and doing as…"
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