Influences and major thinkers

When we hear the word “philosopher," we tend to think of Ancient Greeks like....

When we hear the word “philosopher," we tend to think of Ancient Greeks like Socrates or Plato, or perhaps the Frenchman René Descartes, or maybe infamous Germans like Karl Marx or Friedrich Nietzsche. Influential philosophers thus seem to populate the past. But are there any important philosophers living in the world today?

We can thank philosophers, both past and present, for a number of our deeply held beliefs. These beliefs dictate how we understand and involve ourselves in the world. For millennia, philosophers have attempted to shape our beliefs, usually behind the scenes, and their influence is present in many of our existing practices, institutions, and basic assumptions about ourselves and the world we think we know.

Contemporary philosophers are enormously influential right now. Take Princeton's Peter Singer and his work on animal ethics. How society sees its responsibilities to nonhuman others owes much to Singer. Though usually not household names, contemporary philosophers have radically altered the way we think about all sorts of things --- from the nature of God to the role of race in democracy.

Philosophy, one of the oldest areas of intellectual endeavor, is as significant today as ever. With the help of AcademicInfluence.com we have created this list of the 50 most influential philosophers working, thinking, writing, and teaching in the world today. Note that this list is not a ranking --- the philosophers are presented alphabetically.