The Most Important People in History

I think few would argue of the impact that Darwin and Marx had, certainly in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Darwin in particular, to shake the foundations of religion in offering a clear scientific explanation on the origins of life on Earth was no small thing. I wonder how his thoughts affected other cultures and religions though? Whether or not Darwin had any impact on the Muslim world for example – I don’t know?

I was also thinking Hitler unfortunately for the 20th century, not just for the war but for the social and political repercussions which followed it.

Extremely hard to tell, but still I wonder if there has been any significant figures this century whose influence is likely to last until the end of it or into next century? I can't think of anybody who fits that bill. Some would say Obama but I'd have to disagree with that I think.

Overall, I think it is hard to get away from Christ one way or another.

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Originally Posted by Neely

Overall, I think it is hard to get away from Christ one way or another.

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There are a couple of issues with Yeshua the Christ:

1 Was he a real, historical figure? Unknown.
2 If he was, is he famous for actually doing things, or is it merely the religion/s built around myth that make him important.

I'll agree that the concept of a Jesus Christ is historically #1, but until we sort out the fact from the fiction, it's a leap of faith to say that the man Yeshua of Nazareth was an important figure himself.

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Originally Posted by The Atheist

There are a couple of issues with Yeshua the Christ:

1 Was he a real, historical figure? Unknown.
2 If he was, is he famous for actually doing things, or is it merely the religion/s built around myth that make him important.

I'll agree that the concept of a Jesus Christ is historically #1, but until we sort out the fact from the fiction, it's a leap of faith to say that the man Yeshua of Nazareth was an important figure himself.

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Well, that's true. I was careful in my opening post to say Christ the historical figure. I suppose it depends on whether a person's legacy is divisible from themselves.

For example, take Neely's suggestion of Marx. How do we guage the impact of Marx the man against all the things that were carried out in the name of Marxism? It is something of a quandry.

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Originally Posted by The Atheist

There are a couple of issues with Yeshua the Christ:

1 Was he a real, historical figure? Unknown.
2 If he was, is he famous for actually doing things, or is it merely the religion/s built around myth that make him important.

I'll agree that the concept of a Jesus Christ is historically #1, but until we sort out the fact from the fiction, it's a leap of faith to say that the man Yeshua of Nazareth was an important figure himself.

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I don't think it matters one way or the other. The impact of Jesus the son of God, Jesus the carpenter, Jesus the myth is all one and the same - it's the affect that (he) has had on the whole fabric of civilization that's the important thing. For me it doesn't matter if he's fact or fiction (or somewhere in-between) the impact of the ideology has been huge, wherever you stand on the subject of religion.

this is such a broad topic. there are scientists, writers, inventors, political leaders.

Phytagoras stated the first and most important fact, the earth is round. without that, i don't know where we will be.

There's the Egyptians and Greeks who contributed to the concept of time and astronomy.

In other words, i think the most important ones are the ones who laid the groundwork of modern science and politics.

then you can go the emotional route and say it's the parents, those who make the sacrifice of living their own life for the benefit of others.

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Originally Posted by The Atheist

Godwin time!

No question that Herr Hitler rates as one of the more important historical figures, if for all the wrong reasons, but the world would be a vastly different place had he not lived.

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The thing with Hitler and the Nazis is that they did a really good job of making sure racism is perceived as evil. Casual and focused racism was prevalent and largely unquestioned in Europe and the USA at this time. Just imagine if they had not got themselves obliterated.

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Originally Posted by chipper

this is such a broad topic. there are scientists, writers, inventors, political leaders.

Phytagoras stated the first and most important fact, the earth is round. without that, i don't know where we will be.

There's the Egyptians and Greeks who contributed to the concept of time and astronomy.

In other words, i think the most important ones are the ones who laid the groundwork of modern science and politics.

then you can go the emotional route and say it's the parents, those who make the sacrifice of living their own life for the benefit of others.

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In that case perhaps it's the creators of writing who enabled these discoveries to be recorded.

Emmaline Pankhurst, and all the women like her, as a result of whose actions women now have voice and a choice beyond a life of domestic servitude and sexual slavery, and as a result have changed the social and political landscape of Britain, at least, for all time.

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Originally Posted by TheFifthElement

Emmaline Pankhurst, and all the women like her, as a result of whose actions women now have voice and a choice beyond a life of domestic servitude and sexual slavery, and as a result have changed the social and political landscape of Britain, at least, for all time.

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I reckon that they didn't just help women emerge from oppression either. It's because of them that women participate more or less fully - with a few anomolies - in the economic life of the country, paying taxes, adding their expertise and pushing forward the general improvements in the standards of living we have today.

I also think those socialist leaders in the unions did us all a fantastic favour by improving working rights pay and conditions. They created the working conditions whereby everyone benefits more, and thus puts more into the economic pot. Where would our economic wealth be without the consumer booms that have fuelled our economies in the west? You don't see that mentioned much.

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Originally Posted by chipper

this is such a broad topic. there are scientists, writers, inventors, political leaders.

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Exactly. This is such a huge and broad topic. Micheal Faraday, Freud, Michelangelo, Dante, Homer, Mary Wollstonecraft, Hitler, Alexander Fleming, Gandhi, Marie Curie, Nikola Tesla, Newton, the list goes on and on with each being equally influential in their field. In fact, often one couldn't exist without the other. Would Hitler have had such a huge impact on the twentieth century if other people hadn't made great strides that led to the creation of the technology that he used?

As much as I would want to say 'Darwin', I wouldn't include scientists. Had they not lived, someone else would've invented the stuff eventually, that's the beauty of science.

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Originally Posted by Dodo25

As much as I would want to say 'Darwin', I wouldn't include scientists. Had they not lived, someone else would've invented the stuff eventually, that's the beauty of science.

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True, but they got there first, so they do deserve recognition for that. I think Darwin is definitely a contender.

Copernicus, Darwin and Tesla.

I'd put Darwin above Jesus in my list, by the way.

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Originally Posted by The Atheist

There are a couple of issues with Yeshua the Christ:

1 Was he a real, historical figure? Unknown.
2 If he was, is he famous for actually doing things, or is it merely the religion/s built around myth that make him important.

I'll agree that the concept of a Jesus Christ is historically #1, but until we sort out the fact from the fiction, it's a leap of faith to say that the man Yeshua of Nazareth was an important figure himself.

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In that case, St. Peter?

And actually I'm not even sure whether we can name Hitler the most influential person of the 20th century. As Zhou Enlai said, when asked about the impact of the French Revolution - it is too soon to tell.


Also, talking about totalitarian regimes reminded me of another person who I would put high on the list - Plato.
It is said, after all, that all of European philosophy(very Eurocentric, I know) is just a bunch of footnotes to Plato.

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Originally Posted by Taliesin

In that case, St. Peter?

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If I had to pick the most-important influence on christianity, I'd go for Paul rather than Peter. If you accept a Jesus as a real historical person (which I largely do), then without the mumbo-jumbo he was actually just Brian.

There is an account, or maybe two, of his actual crucifixion but it was Paul's trip to Damascus that turned an urban legend into the dominant global religion.

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Originally Posted by Taliesin

And actually I'm not even sure whether we can name Hitler the most influential person of the 20th century. As Zhou Enlai said, when asked about the impact of the French Revolution - it is too soon to tell.

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I can't buy that. While these things are recent in archaeological terms, the changes they made to the world were such that whatever history we create from now on, it will have been shaped by those immense changes in the past.

Just think about the generation of dead from WWII for starters. Millions upon millions of our best and brightest young men were thrown into the war mincer, and then more millions were deprived of their life by being casualties of war before it had even really begun.

The difference those people and their potential children not being on the planet is incalculable. We can't for sure how those events of the 18th and 20th century will shape the world, but we must acknowledge that they have/will.

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Originally Posted by Taliesin

Also, talking about totalitarian regimes reminded me of another person who I would put high on the list - Plato.
It is said, after all, that all of European philosophy(very Eurocentric, I know) is just a bunch of footnotes to Plato.

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That's a very good thought.