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[erolz]

My personal vote would have to go to Epicurus (followed by a close second place for socrates).

(below blatantly stolen from the most excellent book 'the consoloations of philosophy by alain de botton)

Epicurean ideals in summary

What is and is not essential for happiness

Natural and
necessary

Friends
Freedom
Thought (abpout main
sources of anxiety:
death, illness,
poverty, superstition)
Food, shelter, clothes

Natural but
unnessary

Grand house
Private baths
Banquets
Servants
Fish, meat

Neither natural
nor necessary

Fame
Power

"Nothing satisfies the man who is not satisfied with a little"

"happiness depends more on the possesion of a congenial companion than a well decorated villa"

"The possesion of great riches does not resolve the agitation of the soul nor give birth to remarkable joy"

So who's your favourite?

[Piratis]

I like Socrates : "What I know is that I know nothing"

Who knows more than Socrates in here?

[erolz]

I like Socrates : "What I know is that I know nothing"

Who knows more than Socrates in here?

Of course you know that socrates was sentanced to death by a 'majority' of his peers for doing no more than trying to make them think and question received wisdom and wide held beliefs

From same source as above

"The correctness of a statement cannot , the method [socrates' method]suggests, be determined by weather it is held by a majority or has been believed for a long time by important people. A correct statement is one incapable of being rationally contradicted. A statement is true if it cannot be disproved. If it can, however many believe it, however grand they may be , it must be false and we are right to doubt it."

Like I say he is my number 2 fave after Epicurus

[Piratis]

Of course you know that socrates was sentanced to death by a 'majority' of his peers for doing no more than trying to make them think and question received wisdom and wide held beliefs

You mean he was convicted not by the majority of the whole population but by the majority of a small minority of people.

Many wrong decisions have been taken. This is why today we supposedly advanced to an era were human rights and freedom of speech should be always respected.

[erolz]

You mean he was convicted not by the majority of the whole population but by the majority of a small minority of people.

Yep found guilty by a majority of a jury of 500 of his peers - 280 for and 220 against. To which he is reported as saying "I didnt think the margin would be so narrow".

Many wrong decisions have been taken. This is why today we supposedly advanced to an era were human rights and freedom of speech should be always respected.

It is why we also, imo, recognise the potential of a 'tyrany of the majority' and do not apply democracy in simple numerical (mathematical) way but in more convoluted and less direct ways with checks and balances, which almost always end up with some for of represntation disporoprtionate to numerical numbers alone. But now we are off topic and in the worng area of the forum and covering ground we have both been over many many times before So I will leave it here (though of course do reply yourself if you feel so moved - just don't anticipate a reply).

So any other favourites of members out there?

[brother]

I liked socrates, but then he is the only one i know anything about albeit what i learned at school etc.

[achilles]

Aristotle, because he was one cool Macedonian dude with a multi-RPM brain , and because he set the foundations for the relativity theory.

[garbitsch]

There is this strange thing going around that Socrates actually is a fictional character of Plato. I don't know but I read Plato and Aristotle, and I think I will go for Plato, altough I do not believe in morality in Politics. What I liked was Plato's cave analogy.

[magikthrill]

my knowledge of philosphers is quite limited (im more of a historian kinda guy) but that son of ariston was pretty interesting.

i didnt really like socrates apology i thought it was quite pretentious.

[cannedmoose]

Pythagoras... gotta love those triangles...