This is a list of figures throughout history who I admire and/or respect, mostly consisting of thinkers (e.g., philosophers, scientists) and feelers (e.g., adventurers, musicians). Note that inclusion on this list does not imply that I agree with any of their specific views or actions, its more that when I read about their lives / works / accomplishments I go “wow what a person” and feel somewhat inspired. I generally encourage the consideration of virtue and merit in context for personal character judgements, and am a believer in looking for the good in humanity – both pragmatically (because it creates positive feedback loops) and emotionally (because I have a hyperthymic temperament). Some of the figures have hyperlinks to writings concerning them which I consider worth reading.
Thinkers
- Jeremy Bentham
- Bertrand Russell (1)
- Ludwig Wittgenstein (1), (2), (3), (4), (5)
- Frank Ramsey (1)
- John Stuart Mill
- Plato
- Derek Parfit
- Peter Singer
- Charles Darwin
- Simone de Beauvoir
- Steven Lehar (1)
- John Von-Neumann (1)
- David Pearce
Artists
- John Ronald Reuel Tolkien
- Oscar Wilde
Feelers
Leaders
- Queen Elisabeth II (1)
- Sejong the Great
- Tsai Ing-wen
- Napoleon Bonaparte
Adventurers
- Ernest Shackleton
- Robert Bartlett (explorer)
- Edmund Hillary