Richard Dawkins (1941- ): A pre-eminent evolutionary biologist and prominent atheist, Richard Dawkins is best known for his advocacy of the gene-centric view of evolution and his critiques of religion. His works, both controversial and influential, have sparked dialogues about biology, religion, and ethics. 1. The Selfish Gene (1976): Dawkins presents the theory of the … Read more
Frantz Fanon (1925-1961): Fanon was a psychiatrist, philosopher, and political radical who became one of the leading theorists of decolonization and the psychological effects of colonization. Born in Martinique, a French colony at the time, he eventually moved to Algeria, where he became involved in its struggle for independence. 1. Black Skin, White Masks (1952): … Read more
Michel Foucault (1926 – 1984): Foucault was a French philosopher, social theorist, and historian of ideas. His theories addressed the relationship between power and knowledge, and how they are used as a form of social control through societal institutions. His work is often associated with postmodern and post-structuralist thought. 1. Madness and Civilization (1961): In … Read more
Marshall McLuhan (1911 – 1980): McLuhan was a Canadian professor, philosopher, and public intellectual whose work is one of the cornerstones of the study of media theory. He coined the expression “the medium is the message” and proposed that media themselves, not the content they carry, should be the focus of study. His insights were … Read more
Albert Camus (1913 – 1960): A towering figure in the pantheon of philosophical literature, Camus is perhaps best known for his unique perspective on the philosophy of the absurd. His work explores themes such as existentialism, moral relativism, and the quest for meaning in an indifferent universe. Despite this, he declined to align himself with … Read more
Born in 1924, Ernest Becker was a cultural anthropologist and interdisciplinary scientific thinker and writer. He is best known for his Pulitzer Prize-winning book, “The Denial of Death,” in which he argues that human civilization is essentially an elaborate, symbolic defense mechanism against the knowledge of our mortality. 1. The Denial of Death Description: In … Read more
Born in 1934, Daniel Kahneman is an Israeli psychologist and economist notable for his work on the psychology of judgment and decision-making. He was awarded the 2002 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for his pioneering work in the field of behavioral economics, which integrated insights from psychological research into economic science. 1. Thinking, Fast … Read more
Born in 1875, Carl Gustav Jung was a Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst who founded analytical psychology. His work has been influential across a wide array of disciplines including psychiatry, anthropology, archaeology, literature, philosophy, and religious studies. Jung is best known for his theories of the Collective Unconscious, archetypes, and introversion and extroversion. 1. The Archetypes … Read more
Steven Pinker, born in 1954, is a Canadian-American psychologist, linguist, cognitive scientist, and popular science author. He’s a Johnstone Family Professor in the Department of Psychology at Harvard University and is renowned for his advocacy of evolutionary psychology and the computational theory of mind. Pinker’s work revolves around how we use language, how our minds … Read more
Sam Harris is a contemporary philosopher, neuroscientist, and author who is well-known for his commentary on religion, spirituality, and science. Born in 1967 in Los Angeles, California, Harris received a Ph.D. in cognitive neuroscience from the University of California, Los Angeles, and is one of the prominent members of the group colloquially referred to as … Read more