Classical Theism, Philosophy, and Religion Forum / Who are your three biggest philosophical influences?

**Posted by John West** 6/30/2018 7:20 pm

I'm just curious.

(Feel free to include more than three.)

**Posted by Greg** 6/30/2018 9:02 pm

You've asked this question before.

At this point, I say Aquinas, Anscombe, and Wittgenstein.

**Posted by John West** 6/30/2018 9:04 pm

Haha. We have a lot of people who weren't around back then and others, like yourself, who I figured might answer differently.

**Posted by Greg** 6/30/2018 9:08 pm

Indeed, my answer is more determinate these days.

I mentioned Newman in my previous answer. I could perhaps even swap out Aquinas for him.

**Posted by John West** 7/01/2018 3:46 am

Here is the first one, for anyone interested.

**Posted by Miguel** 7/01/2018 12:58 pm

Main influences are Aquinas and a lot of contemporary philosophers, mainly Pruss, Feser, Norris Clarke, Rasmussen, Oderberg, WLC and others. That goes for questions like hylemorphism; free will; irreducibility of mind; the problem of universals; causation and PSR; theism; etc.

Also some more wittgensteinian figures like Herbert McCabe, Anscombe and Geach.

I've always enjoyed Leibniz and Samuel Clarke as well, it's always interesting to see their ideas on pretty much every issue.

The more I read, the more interested I get in St. Edith Stein's philosophical thoughts. Maurice Blondel, too.

Last edited by Miguel (7/01/2018 1:00 pm)

**Posted by John West** 7/01/2018 5:46 pm

Man, lots of different kinds of Thomist so far.

David Armstrong time slice at t1, David Armstrong time slice at t2, and David Armstrong time slice at t3. (I'm just joking around.)

**Posted by CharlieBlack** 7/01/2018 6:00 pm

Aristotle, Scotus, and Nietzsche. I learned philosophy from Aristotle and Scotus, and Nietzsche made me less of an asshole.

**Posted by Hypatia** 7/01/2018 6:20 pm

Nietzsche, Sartre, and Kierkegaard. (Though their influence these days is as often in terms of what I reject from them as what I agree with.)

I have more recently fallen down the Neo-Aristotelian rabbit hole and am eyeing Jacques Maritain with some interest, though I've been meaning to go all the way back to Plato first, now that I'm no longer a rabid anti-essentialist.

**Posted by Brian** 7/01/2018 7:40 pm

I would have to say Plato, Nietzsche, and Rene Guenon. Although honorable mentions go to Sextus Empiricus, Zhuangzi, and Schopenhauer.

I honestly don't remember if that's different than the first time I answered the question.

Last edited by Brian (7/01/2018 7:41 pm)

​Who are your three biggest philosophical influences?

Who are your three biggest philosophical influences?