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10 Greatest Philosophers Of All Time

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Philosophy is the study of knowledge, existence and reality. Philosophers consider human existence in the ideas they put forward from aesthetics, nature, metaphysics, logic, knowledge and theory; that is why their teachings exist till today.

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1. Aristotle

2. Lao-Tzu

3. John Locke

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4. Karl Marx

5. Confucius

6. Ralph Waldo Emerson

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7. Immanuel Kant

8. Epicurus

9. Socrates

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10. Friedrich Nietzsche

Philosophy influences fields such as science, politics and psychology including how we think. For instance, the ideology of Karl Marx on capitalism has inspired many economic and social movements. Also John Locke  political ideas helped shape the constitution of the United States.

Below are the greatest philosophers of all time:

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1. Aristotle

Aristotle is referred to as the first scientist in history. As one of the famous Greek philosophers, he was taught by another famous philosopher, Plato. Most of Aristotle’s works were on aesthetics, political theory, theories on plants and animals, rhetoric and philosophy of mind.

Out of about 200 treatises he wrote, 31 are still existing till today. Aristotle is widely adored for his principles of correct reasoning and methods of rhetoric which are logos (logic), pathos (emotions) and ethos (ethics).

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2. Lao-Tzu

Lao-Tzu was the man who founded Taoism — it became the religion of the Tang dynasty in the 8th century. Taoism is about the coexistence of humans and animals in the universe.

Lao-Tzu believed a soul does not die but joins the universe after death. According to him, there is an energy that guides the earth. Until 1949, Taoism was one of the main religions in China but was banned when the Communist took over.

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3. John Locke

John Locke lived from 1632 to 1704. His work on epistemology and political theory influenced the formation of the United States constitution. He worked as an academic in Oxford, researching medicine there.

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He believed in the rights to life, liberty and property. According to him, the main reason governments exist is to serve its populace. Through his work, Locke laid the foundation for modern political liberalism and philosophical empiricism.

4. Karl Marx

Karl Marx (1818-1883) was one of the greatest German philosophers of his time. He developed Marxism in the 1800s, a philosophy that focused on political, social and economic theories.

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Some of his most notable works such as the Communist Manifesto and Das Kapital explains the dynamics of capitalism and its effect on production, labour and economic development. Marx’s theories continue to influence the economic and political ideology of today.

5. Confucius

Confucius was a great philosopher from China that believed in living life in accordance with ethical and moral social standards. He founded a school of belief called Confucianism concerned with morality and personal ethics.

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The principles of Confucianism are beneficence, non-maleficence, justice and respect for autonomy.

6. Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ralph Waldo Emerson was an American essayist, lecturer and philosopher that lived between 1803 to 1882. He strongly believed in the connection between God, man and nature.

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Emerson’s works transformed society; his work, Self-Reliance emphasized individual intuition and judgment. His works are reflected in movements that emphasize environmentalism, personal development and self-discovery.

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7. Immanuel Kant

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Immanuel Kant is another great philosopher that lived between 1724 to 1804. He believed moral reason overrules any other sort of reason.

His notable works are Pure Reasons, Power of Judgement and Critiques of Practical Reason. His ideas serve as the basis for modern ethical and philosophical thought.

8. Epicurus

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Epicurus was one of Greece’s greatest philosophers of all time. His ideology is very evident in modern hedonism. He believed that the aim of human life should be happiness devoid of mental disturbances and physical pain. To him, happiness is the best and that anxiety emanates from irrational desires which one can eliminate.

9. Socrates

Socrates is referred to as the founder of western philosophy. His works became known through the account of his students, Plato and Xenophon. He was a Greek philosopher that pioneered the ethical tradition of thought. The western philosophical thoughts were derived from his ideology.

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10. Friedrich Nietzsche

Friedrich Nietzsche is another great German philosopher that impacted the west through his teachings that cut across history, science, art and culture. His idea that everything lacks meaning including life itself made him famous. This would later influence existentialist and surrealist movements — they built on his ideas. Nietzsche lived between 1844 to 1900.

Source: Tribune

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Leader Of UK Christian Group Convicted Of Sexually Abusing Women

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Chris Brain, 68, the leader of a UK Christian group once backed by the Church of England, has been convicted of sexually abusing nine women in his congregation.

A jury delivered the final verdicts on Thursday.

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‎Brain led the Nine O’Clock Service, an evangelical movement in Sheffield during the 1980s and 1990s. The group was known for its nightclub-style worship, held at 9 p.m. on Sundays, which included live music and drew large crowds of young people.

‎Prosecutors said Brain used his authority to control members of the congregation, isolating them from family and friends, and used his position to commit sexual assaults. He also maintained a group of young women known as the “lycra nuns” who assisted him, his wife, and his daughter at home, prosecutor Tim Clark told the court.

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‎The leader of the UK Christian group was charged with 36 counts of indecent assault and one count of rape involving 13 women between 1981 and 1995. He denied the charges, claiming any sexual contact was consensual.

‎Following a trial at Inner London Crown Court, he was convicted of 17 counts of indecent assault against nine women. He was acquitted of 15 other charges, while the jury could not reach a verdict on four additional indecent assault charges and the rape allegation. The Crown Prosecution Service said it would “carefully consider” whether to seek a retrial.

‎The Nine O’Clock Service had received approval from the Church of England. In 1990, the Archbishop of Canterbury-elect George Carey met with Brain to discuss his methods, and his ordination was expedited. Prosecutors said the group even spent heavily to purchase the costume worn by Robert De Niro in the 1986 film The Mission for his ceremony.

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‎Brain resigned shortly before a BBC documentary aired in 1995, accusing him of inappropriate sexual behaviour. Carey later said he was “crushed and let down” when the allegations became public.

‎In court, Brain admitted to receiving massages from congregation members that sometimes became sexual but denied manipulating or controlling them.

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‎Bishop of Sheffield Pete Wilcox said in a statement: “What happened was an appalling abuse of power and leadership that should never have occurred. Where concerns were raised in the past and were not acted upon properly, that was a failing of the Church. For those institutional failures, I offer an unreserved apology.”

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Russia Claims More Ukraine Land As Hopes For Summit Fade

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Russia on Saturday said its forces had taken two villages in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region, increasing the military pressure as world leaders struggle to broker an end to the conflict.

South Africa added its voice to those calling for a summit between Ukraine and Russia.

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Russian forces are slowly advancing in the embattled eastern region of Donetsk, grinding closer to Kyiv’s key defensive line in costly metre-for-metre battles.

Moscow’s defence ministry said on Telegram that its forces had captured the villages of Sredneye and Kleban-Byk.

The taking of Kleban-Byk would mark a further advance towards Kostiantynivka — a key fortified town on the road to Kramatorsk, where a major Ukrainian logistics base is located.

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On Friday, Russia said its troops had captured three villages in the Donetsk region it claimed to have annexed in September 2022.

On Saturday, Ukrainian military officials said its forces had stopped a Russian advance and recaptured the village of Zeleny Gai in the Donetsk region in a post to Telegram.

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In July, Russia claimed the capture of the village, on the border with Dnipropetrovsk, adding that it was an important stronghold used by Ukraine to protect the area.

– Ramaphosa backs summit –
The latest Russian advances come as hopes dim for a summit between Russian and Ukrainian presidents — a solution championed by US President Donald Trump as part of his efforts to end the conflict.

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South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Saturday added his voice to calls for a Russia-Ukraine summit during a telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

President Ramaphosa stressed the urgency of holding bilateral and trilateral meetings between the leaders of Russia and Ukraine and the United States as key to signal a firm commitment to ending the war,” said a statement from his office.

Ramaphosa, who currently chairs the G20, also spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron and Finnish President Alexander Stubb, the statement added. He will speak with other European leaders in the coming weeks.

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Ramaphosa spoke on Monday with Vladimir Putin, whom he described in October at the BRICS summit as a “dear ally” and a “valued friend”.

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However, for the first time since Russia’s attack on Ukraine, South Africa earlier this year backed a UN resolution declaring that Russia had launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

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Zelensky said he had told Ramaphosa he was ready for any kind of meeting with Putin.

However, we see that Moscow is once again trying to drag everything out even further,” he said on X.

He called on the Global South to send “relevant signals and (push) Russia toward peace”.

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On Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said “no meeting” was planned as Trump’s mediation efforts appeared to stall, while Zelensky accused Russia of trying to prolong the offensive.

AFP

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US Suspends Work Visas For Nigerian, Foreign Truck Drivers

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The United States government has suspended the issuance of work visas for Nigerian and other foreign truck drivers, citing job security concerns and safety risks for American citizens.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the decision on Thursday, saying it takes immediate effect.

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According to him, the rising number of foreign truck drivers on U.S. highways is both threatening lives and reducing opportunities for American truckers.

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Effective immediately, we are pausing all issuance of worker visas for commercial truck drivers.

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“The increasing number of foreign drivers operating large tractor-trailer trucks on U.S. roads is endangering American lives and undercutting the livelihoods of American truckers,” Rubio said.

The move comes under President Donald Trump’s renewed clampdown on immigration since returning to office in January 2025.

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As part of new measures, travellers from countries with high visa overstay rates or weak travel databases will be required to pay a bond of $5,000 to $15,000 before obtaining certain categories of visas.

The U.S. Embassy in Nigeria also directed all visa applicants to disclose their social media handles from the past five years, warning that failure to comply could result in denial of applications and possible ineligibility for future visas.

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