Greatest living intellectual?

[Kipru]

Pentti Linkola

Seriously, with his thougths the human race and all things we consider humane would be doomed but maybe earth would have a chance to survive. Bold man who dares to say the most politically incorrect things in the world to make his point, which can be understood as a madman speaking. Troble is that his thoughts sound like one austrian painter 70 years ago. Maybe I'll appoint him as the most eccentric living intellectual.

Originally Posted by Pentti Linkola

"What to do, when a ship carrying a hundred passengers suddenly capsizes and only one lifeboat? When the lifeboat is full, those who hate life will try to load it with more people and sink the lot. Those who love and respect life will take the ship's axe and sever the extra hands that cling to the sides of the boat."

And the correct answer to the question: ( I would appoint every engineer in the world because they work hard to give us the latest technical gadgets to ease our living, but they are scientists, not intellectuals.)

Trey Parker and Matt Stone

Important points made into a understandable form (cartoon). From cigarettenazis like Rob Reiner to catholic priests, they point out weird things in our world (well, mainly USA) and make me laugh. I can't succest Stephen Hawking, Shuji Nakamura or Muhammad Yunus since i have not a dimmest idea what they have really done and what good has it done to me.

[JohnnyB]

Originally Posted by jammies

Chomsky is another great intellectual, but I find his philosophy too partisan and based in outmoded ideas from the sixties. He is more a political commentator than anything else, which is fine, but a hundred years from now his ideas will be mostly irrelevant, which you cannot say about Dawkins (well, you can, but I think you'll be wrong).

Man, are you nuts? I'm no Chomsky fan, and I'll acknowledge he's into an awful lot of political commentary these days, but the guy is also the father of modern linguisitcs. He's a guy who completely revolutionized a field which has since been continually blossoming and moving forward in leaps and bounds compared to it's pre-Chomsky history. To say that his ideas will be irrelevant in a hundred years is a gross underestimation of his contributions.

And I hate Chomsky.

[jammies]

Originally Posted by JohnnyB

Man, are you nuts? I'm no Chomsky fan, and I'll acknowledge he's into an awful lot of political commentary these days, but the guy is also the father of modern linguisitcs. He's a guy who completely revolutionized a field which has since been continually blossoming and moving forward in leaps and bounds compared to it's pre-Chomsky history. To say that his ideas will be irrelevant in a hundred years is a gross underestimation of his contributions.

I am referring to his philosophical writings as previously referenced in the paragraph, not his science. You are correct in that he is the prime motivator behind the modern understanding of how humans gain and use language, however that is not what I am talking about there.

[Daradon]

I'm lovin this thread. Lots of people and thoughts to look up.

Those that are battling should just eat up the freedom of idea in here. The names suggested in here prove people read and people think and once again CP is probably one of the smartest groups on the net regardless of affiliation or idea.

I also love the thread idea. Greatest LIVING intellectual. Cause I carry a lot of quotes, but usually from dead people.

I think truly a lot of what can be expressed, already has. That's what makes new thought (or at least a new spin on it) today so rare, and so special.

[Sergei-Makarov]

Jürgen Habermas,easily the greatest living philosopher!

[JohnnyB]

Originally Posted by Sergei-Makarov

Jürgen Habermas,easily the greatest living philosopher!

Now there's a good read for any of the masochists in the CP crowd.

[JohnnyB]

Originally Posted by jammies

I am referring to his philosophical writings as previously referenced in the paragraph, not his science. You are correct in that he is the prime motivator behind the modern understanding of how humans gain and use language, however that is not what I am talking about there.

Well, if all you're talking about is his philosophy then I'll take back the "Are you nuts?"

I'd like to know why philosophy is an essential part of being an intellectual in your opinion though. Seems limited to me.

[jammies]

Originally Posted by JohnnyB

I'd like to know why philosophy is an essential part of being an intellectual in your opinion though. Seems limited to me.

Philosophy comprises ethics, logic, epistemology, and metaphysics; can anyone who does not think about any of these questions seriously be properly called an great intellectual? After all, an intellectual is someone who thinks about ideas, and philosophy *is* thinking about ideas in its purest form.

There is a common idea that knowledge in specific fields, notably culture, elevates one to the status of intellectual. In the small sense of the word, I suppose this is true, but if I am looking for the world's greatest living intellectual I'm not wasting my time on critics, artistes and theologians. That's like looking for the world's greatest hockey player in the ECHL.

[300spartans]

Originally Posted by JohnnyB

Now there's a good read for any of the masochists in the CP crowd.

My Master's thesis deals with Habermas.....

My list would be:

Hawking
Dawkins
Habermas
Chomsky

[4X4]

Kipru beat me to it... I was going to nominate Trey Parker and Matt Stone. My friend has all 10 seasons of SP on DVD and I've been watching them. I always liked the show, but usually because I would watch it late at night and sometimes not entirely sober. After watching them in order (not that that matters) and dead sober, I cannot believe how brilliant that show really is. Of course, you haev to have a twisted sense of humour to really appreciate it.

My fave episode is the mormon one. They absolutely obliterate the religion, but in the last 30 seconds, the mormon kid does a little speil that absolutely rocks. Something to the effect of "maybe my religion is based on falsehoods and maybe the stories are stupid, but I choose to believe them because the book of mormon is the basis for why my family is so close. You are too arrogant to see past my stupid religion to be my friend. You've got alot of growing up to do. Suck my balls".

I just love how they will take anyone or anything and expose how stupid they are, but also point out that that is their opinion and to each his own. I swear that if half the lessons taught in those shows were learned by society in general, the world would be a much better place.
I'm sure alot of you now think I'm out to lunch, but that is probably because many people don't like that show because it is so vulgar. It truly is the epitome of a satire on the human race.


Ok, maybe Parker and Stone aren't the greatest living intellectuals. Going overboard, I admit. But they really know how to comment on society in a hilarious way.

[octothorp]

Umberto Eco: someone who not only has made a significant contribution to philosophical thought, particularly in the field of semiotics, but who has also written some of the greatest and most critically acclaimed literature of any living author, in which he brings semiotics to the masses. For me, he has the perfect combination of philosophical and aesthetic brilliance that defines intellect.

For me, I pick Eco just slightly ahead of Chomsky. I've got a lot of respect for Dawkins contribution to evolutionary theory and his work with memetics, but his anti-religious crusade smacks of intellectual arrogance, and he's just not as good of a writer as Eco or Chomsky. Hawking, like Dawkins, just isn't that great a writer, and while I would probably count him as the greatest living thinker, he doesn't have the philosophical and aesthetic considerations that I think are part of intellect.

[GreenLantern]

Bruce Wayne or Lex Luthor... it is pretty tight though.

[Textcritic]

In the same vein as Dawkins, but in my opinion one who exhibits greater care and depth with his opinions and in his writing, I nominate Edward O. Wilson.

I would also nominate my dissertation supervisor, but I doubt very much that any of you have heard of him.

[troutman]

Chopra is a charlatan IMO.

Hitchens is my vote for smartest cookie.

[Azure]

I nominate Textcritic....

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by troutman

Chopra is a charlatan IMO.

Hitchens is my vote for smartest cookie.

Hitchens? Are you serious?!?! Sure, he is reasonably smart, eloquent, a decent enough writer (but not great), but in my opinion lacks the creativity to be considered even remotely close to the same realm as some of the other names mentioned in this thread. He's a politician and what I would consider of relatively ordinary intelligence.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Azure

I nominate Textcritic....

Declined. But I am certainly at least as intelligent as Christopher Hitchens.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

Hitchens? Are you serious?!?! Sure, he is reasonably smart, eloquent, a decent enough writer (but not great), but in my opinion lacks the creativity to be considered even remotely close to the same realm as some of the other names mentioned in this thread. He's a politician and what I would consider of relatively ordinary intelligence.

I suppose I have not read enough of him to comment on his writing, but no one would want to get in a verbal debate with him. That is where he impresses me. And I often disagree with him. Politician? He is never afraid to make an unpopular argument.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

Declined. But I am certainly at least as intelligent as Christopher Hitchens.

Sorta my point.

I don't think just because you agree with the man's viewpoint, that he suddenly becomes a 'great living intellectual.'

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

Declined. But I am certainly at least as intelligent as Christopher Hitchens.

That I can agree with. Hitchens is clever and funny, but that's not at all the same thing.

As much as I hate to admit it, some votes have to go to Harold Bloom for this one--a very influential if aggravating thinker. I'd also second Eco, though he's a bit of a dillettante, and dabbles a bit too much to be a true genius IMO.