[ExI] living philosphers of import

[Ben Zaiboc]

Gordon wrote:

> Someone online just a moment ago asserted that most people
> in that forum could probably not name any important
> living philosophers. I know of several and named them.
> 
> I thought it would be interesting to ask this same question
> of my friends here on ExI. Who are the most important living
> philosophers? And why?


By what criteria can a philosopher be considered to be important anyway?   Especially a living one?  We can say that certain ancient philosophers are 'important' because we know they influenced later developments, but surely only posterity can decide which philosophers alive today turned out to be 'important'?

I think that the most you can say is "I think this philosopher to be important".  And I rather doubt that you disagree with any of these important living philosophers, do you?  That should be a clue.  If you are in a position to decide who is an important philosopher, then you must be at least as good a philosopher (and presumably as 'important') as they are.

So the only possible answer you can give to the question is: "Me"!


Ben Zaiboc
(not a philosopher)