John Stuart Mill   Britain : First individualistic thinker Born : 1806        Died : 1873 John Stuart Mill provided a revised, scientific and reformed version of j bourgeois ideology. He was born on 20 May, 1806, and was the son of the well-known historian, economist, philosopher-thinker James Mill. He was sent to France to study logic, politics and economics. After his return from France, in 1856, he wrote a letter...

Rousseau   France : A revolutionary philosopher Born : 1712        Died : 1778 The social, economic and political conditions in France at the time of Rousseau could be best described as miserable. There was large scale discontent, corruption and misrule. Rousseau’s thoughts so influenced the people of France that it paved the way for French revolution. Napoleon Bonaparte was constrained to remark that ‘if there was no Rousseau, there might...

Voltaire   France : Creator of Candide Born : 1694        Died: 1778 The two persons who kindled the love for liberty amongst the French masses were Rousseau and Voltaire. These two paved the way for French revolution by their fiery writings. Voltaire was a man of clear perceptions. He called the flatterers in the French court ‘donkeys’ and courageously opposed the corrupt life of priests, disorder in French society and...

Niccolo Machiavelli Italy : Child of his age Born : 1469        Died : 1527   Machiavelli has the same place in Italian history as Chanakya has in ancient Indian history. He is called the ‘child of his age’. Exponent of cunning statesmanship, Machiavelli gave a new word to English language — Machiavellian — which means cunning, crafty and perfidious. He advised the state to adopt any means to keep itself...

Nietzsche   Germany : Whose philosophy gave birth to fascism Born : 1844        Died : 1900  The birth of fascism can be attributed to the thoughts and philosophy” A of Friedrich Nietzsche. He was born in the German principality of Saxony in the year 1844. He was son of a priest and was educated at Bonn and Leipzig universities. He later on started teaching at Basle University in Switzerland when...

Victor Hugo   France : The exponent of freedom and liberty Born : 1802      Died : 1885 Victor Hugo was the literary giant of the nineteenth century. Even now, intellectuals study his writings and find it topical. He was an immortal writer as also a good painter. He was the writer who was a firm believer in freedom of thought and through his poems and novels he gave a new turn...

Bruce Lee   America : Master of martial arts Born : 1940 Died : 1973 The sudden demise of Bruce Lee on July 20, 1973 created a sensation throughout the world. It was nearly unbelievable that such a healthy and fit person expired so suddenly. At the time of his death, he was sitting with his girlfriend Betty Ting Pei and planning his new film. The Government of Hong Kong appointed...