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Are Plato and Aristotle the most influential humans that have ever lived?
- Thread starter JimmyRustler
- Start date
kpopSuperstar
Member
The problem with Moses is that we don't know if he was a myth or not.
If he was real, he is the most important and influentional figure in human history, as judaism is the foundation for both christianity and islam and directly formed the world and humanity.
kpopSuperstar
Member
If anyone is laughing, they are ignorant. His take on judaism and subsequent followers has shaped almost all of our political and moral foundations. 90% of experts who study historical figures will tell you it's obviously Jesus Christ. Greek and Rome shaped and spread Christianity, but Jesus is ultimately the basis of the movement.
But Jesus hasn't left us direct writings. We have some sermons, but not much, if any, of his own writings. So his influence is mostly the influence of and by the people around him.
It's a little different, IMHO, than the folks with actual books, letters, and whatnot that gives us a better look inside their head and allows later people to connect with them more directly.
AJUMP23
Parody of actual AJUMP23
That would be Abraham. He is the father of Isaac and Ishmael through which the Jews and the Arabs derive ancestry.
I think you will find that every biblical character is real. Scholars doubted the existence of David and pilot and many others for years until we got stones and tablets that confirmed their existence.
Top Ten Discoveries Related to Moses and the Exodus
The top-10 archaeological discoveries related to Moses and the Exodus that affirm the Bible are presented by ABR staff writer and researcher, Bryan Windle
biblearchaeology.org
I know you want "Moses was here" on a wall but you won't get that. There is to be pillars that marked the crossing of the Red Sea.
Supposedly built by Solomon.
Solomon left Pillars to mark the site of the Red Sea Crossing.
Visit the post for more.
redseaexodus.wordpress.com
But nothing is 100%.
Thurible
Member
The influence that Jesus Christ has had on the world is incalculable. Heck, for the longest time people used BC (Before Christ) and AD (Anno Domini, or in the year of our Lord) to label years. His existence was so important that His time on earth was used as a measuring stick for chronological events.
Besides starting the most prolific religion in world history, His teachings influence human behavior and thought to this day (both in believers and non-believers). Our general understanding of morality and equality would be very different without Christianity, as it was markedly different in its egalitarianism that reached everyone. While there are exceptions, generally people were divided into different classes and groups regarding their religions. Not everyone could be saved and some people were simply believed to be lesser than others and there would be nothing that could be done about that. Christianity brought the idea that everyone has equal worth and value to the forefront.
Besides starting the most prolific religion in world history, His teachings influence human behavior and thought to this day (both in believers and non-believers). Our general understanding of morality and equality would be very different without Christianity, as it was markedly different in its egalitarianism that reached everyone. While there are exceptions, generally people were divided into different classes and groups regarding their religions. Not everyone could be saved and some people were simply believed to be lesser than others and there would be nothing that could be done about that. Christianity brought the idea that everyone has equal worth and value to the forefront.
kpopSuperstar
Member
Moses is the one who supposedly got the Torah and founded Judaism, Abraham is the guy who first learned of god, but Moses is the true builder of Judaism.That would be Abraham. He is the father of Isaac and Ishmael through which the Jews and the Arabs derive ancestry.
I think you will find that every biblical character is real. Scholars doubted the existence of David and pilot and many others for years until we got stones and tablets that confirmed their existence.
Top Ten Discoveries Related to Moses and the Exodus
The top-10 archaeological discoveries related to Moses and the Exodus that affirm the Bible are presented by ABR staff writer and researcher, Bryan Windle
I know you want "Moses was here" on a wall but you won't get that. There is to be pillars that marked the crossing of the Red Sea.
Supposedly built by Solomon.
Solomon left Pillars to mark the site of the Red Sea Crossing.
Visit the post for more.
But nothing is 100%.
But both Moses and Abraham have a lot of mythological sides to them, they feel more like built characters through tradition rather than historical.
Thurible
Member
I think people sometimes forget there was a lot of oral storytelling when it comes to the books of the Bible. It can be like a game of telephone where information can be lost or embellished overtime.
On a personal note, I don't think historical accuracy is the most important facet of stories about spiritual truth.
ZehDon
Member
I think you're splitting hairs rather than making an interesting point.
"I wrote down Jesus' teachings" versus "Jesus wrote down Jesus' teachings" doesn't change the fact that "Jesus' teachings" have changed the course of human history to a degree that no other human will ever match. That's the equivalent of arguing Plato doesn't qualify because quite literally none of Plato's original writings have survived - all we have hand-transposed copies of copies of copies...
JimmyRustler
Member
Guys, I appreciate the participation in this thread but I'm not entirely sure why Jesus is being brought up here. With him being the son of God and to that extent part of God himself, the term "human being" does not really apply. It that case it would make more sense to name someone like Muhammed, who was only a prophet. But Jesus wasn't that.
DrFigs
Member
I think Aristotle is likely the most influential human. His writings on metaphysics, ethics, and biology were considered authoritative into the medieval era. His ethics and metaphysics is still influential to this day, especially in Catholicism. I feel like even the concept of modern science and the scientific method would have been quite different if it wasn't for him. I also forgot about his formal logic. That's still the basis for modern propositional logic, isn't it?
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diffusionx
Gold Member
I would say the two most influential thinkers, yes, without question.
this is crazy talk
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kpopSuperstar
Member
Isen't it Augustus who is considered the military leader of that time who had the most influence on states of the future?
HAYA8U5A
Member
AJUMP23
Parody of actual AJUMP23
Who is more well known. Alexander or Aristotle. How many cities are name after Aristotle.
Trogdor1123
Member
i guess it depends on how we measure it. It's it length of influence? Is it about names we know more? Impact on society?
The the number one by a wide margin would be Jesus though imo.
The the number one by a wide margin would be Jesus though imo.
EverydayBeast
ChatShitGPT Alpha 0.001
They're at the top of the list, I can see smart academics rolling their eyes at names like Aristotle and Plato but their writings have led to societies ways of thinking.
darrylgorn
Member
Close, but the real answer is Pericles.
bitbydeath
Member
JimmyRustler
Member
You kinda miss the point. Alexander was a conqueror, and the cities were named after him because he wanted them to be. Cause if we take that away we could easily argue that Genghis Khan was even more influential because more successful as a conqueror. It's just that he wasn't so keen about showing off so you would not know.
But that was not my point. What got us to where we are today is not conquerors but the advancement of thought and knowledge - and any time you read about anyone that had a contribution both Aristotle and Plato come up in some shape or from. I'm just reading The Short Introduction for Kant and it's once again enlightening. For instance, it's mentioned that Einstein was influenced a lot by Kant. Kant on the other hand by Decartes... and Descartes by Plato and Aristotle (although it's probably safe to say that Kant read both as well). Fascinating how one builds upon the other... and how Aristotle and Plato always seem to be the root of it.
Baemono
Member
Apparently you can just put his name on an essay in Oklahoma University without anything else and you can get a passing grade
TommyCronin6969
Member
Baemono
Member
It's still better than the French who stopped at the second t
kevboard
Member
Baemono
Member