Who do you think were the most influencial persons in human history?

[Alan McDougall]

Below is my personal list by rank, please give yours?

 

 

 

1. # Jesus of Nazareth

2. # Mohammed

3. # Tsai Lun (credited with the invention of paper)

4. # Johann Gutenberg

5. # Isaac Newton

6. # Paul of Tarsus

7. # Shih Huang Ti

8. # Louis Pasteur

9. # Albert Einstein

10. # Siddhartha Guatama

11. # Confucius

12. # Abraham (reportedly the founder of Judaism)

13. # Aristotle

14. # Galileo Galilei

15. # Plato

16. # Tim Berners Lee (invented the world wide web (with help))

17. # Adolph Hitler

18. # James Watt / Matthew Boulton (Watt invented it, but Boulton manufactured it and made it into big business)

19. # Constantine I (the Great)

20. # Genghis Kahn

21. # Thomas Edison

22. # Karl Marx

23. # Alexander the Great

24. # # Nikolai Tesla (invented the radio as found by the Supreme Court & pioneered AC polyphase power distribution system)

25. # Christopher Columbus

26. # Hernan Cortes

27. # Nicolas Copernicus

28. # Socrates (just because of his reputation)

29. # Philo T. Farnsworth (invented electronic television that most closely resembles contemporary ones)

30. # Charles Darwin

31. # Moses

32. # Augustus Caesar

[KatzAndMice]

1) Kunta Kinte

2) James VI & I

3) Henry VIII

4) Homer

5) Gilgamesh

6) Darwin

Edited July 2, 2012 by KatzAndMice

[pmb]

Below is my personal list by rank, please give yours?

In my opinion Jesus is the most influential person in the history of the world.

[Phi for All]

1. George Bush II

 

And I'm glad to hear Jesus is a person again. I had a hard time with the whole deity thing.

[Alan McDougall]

1) Kunta Kinte

2) James VI & I

3) Henry VIII

4) Homer

5) Gilgamesh

6) Darwin

 

You are kidding right?

 

I agree Jesus was the most influencial person in history although Moslems will disagree they are sure it is Muhammud

Edited July 3, 2012 by Alan McDougall

[Greg H.]

You are kidding right?

 

I agree Jesus was the most influencial person in history although Moslems will disagree they are sure it is Muhammud

 

Hey, he didn't make fun of your list, why are you disparaging his? Unless what you were really looking for was a bunch of people who agreed with you?

 

1. The chap who invented writing.

2. The guy who invented the 0.

3. Socrates

4. Hippocrates

5. Plato

6. The caveman who figured out to control fire.

7. The fellow who came up with the wheel.

8. The sailors who came up with navigation by stars.

9. Archimedes

10. The greeks and turks who came up with the idea of cement.

11. Oh, and let's know forget the chap who learned to forge iron.

12. Gutenberg

[Jaden]

1. Jesus

2. Muhammed

3. Confucious

4. Buddha

5. Moses

6. Christopher Columbus

7. Karl Marx

8. Sir Isaac Newton

9. Paul of Tarsus

10. Abraham Lincoln

11. Adolf Hitler

[CaptainPanic]

My list is a little random. What you ask for is so all-encompassing that it is easy to leave something out. I'm sure I did.

 

1. Socrates

2. Ghengis Khan

3. Carnot

4. Stalin (defeated Hitler)

5. Hitler

6. Julius Caesar

7. Augustus Caesar

8. James Watt

9. Ogedai Khan (for dying at just the right moment)

10. Cornelis Corneliszoon (who?)

 

p.s. I know I left out the religious stuff. That's deliberate. I agree that it has had a large influence on the world, but I disagree with accrediting that all to a single person/phophet.

[imatfaal]

I am amazed that whilst we have had Marx, Stalin, and Hitler - we havent had any of the founding fathers of the United States nor Mao

[CaptainPanic]

I am amazed that whilst we have had Marx, Stalin, and Hitler - we havent had any of the founding fathers of the United States nor Mao

My point exactly. The OP asks us to think of the entire world, and all the great people that ever were. That's a big question. I simply overlooked those you mentioned.

[Alan McDougall]

1. Jesus

2. Muhammed

3. Confucious

4. Buddha

5. Moses

6. Christopher Columbus

7. Karl Marx

8. Sir Isaac Newton

9. Paul of Tarsus

10. Abraham Lincoln

11. Adolf Hitler

 

Nice list I would put Sir Isaac Newton above Muhammed, second to Jesus!

 

My point exactly. The OP asks us to think of the entire world, and all the great people that ever were. That's a big question. I simply overlooked those you mentioned.

 

They were not overlooked I did not want to make the list too long as this can lead to confusion, usually the list tries to include the first hundred most influencial people.We can extend our list to do the same. Please add your list as we are all interested in different views points?

[Ladeira]

I don't understand why Lady Gaga doesn't figure on this list.

[Alan McDougall]

I don't understand why Lady Gaga doesn't figure on this list.

 

Yes if I had extended the this far enough she woul have come in at about 7 billionth on the list.

[CaptainPanic]

Nice list I would put Sir Isaac Newton above Muhammed, second to Jesus!

Why?

 

I find it incredibly hard to compare prophets and scientists. On which criteria do you rank them? It's like comparing apples and oranges. I cannot make such a call.

[Alan McDougall]

Why?

 

I find it incredibly hard to compare prophets and scientists. On which criteria do you rank them? It's like comparing apples and oranges. I cannot make such a call.

 

We are not comparing apples and oranges as you state, we are trying to compare who influenced or impacted human history the most.

 

For example Jesus had a much more impact on human history than say Richard Feynman who was a great scientist.

[Greg H.]

We are not comparing apples and oranges as you state, we are trying to compare who influenced or impacted human history the most.

 

For example Jesus had a much more impact on human history than say Richard Feynman who was a great scientist.

 

I argue that the discoverer of fire and the inventor of managed agriculture (farming) had far more impact on human history than Jesus or his compatriots.

[Alan McDougall]

Hi Greg

 

You said

I argue that the discoverer of fire and the inventor of managed agriculture (farming) had far more impact on human history than Jesus or his compatriots.

 

I wont dispute that but we can only deal with those of whom we have names. I dont think, however that a single person discovered agriculture I think it was more of a process by many persons.

[CaptainPanic]

For example Jesus had a much more impact on human history than say Richard Feynman who was a great scientist.

Yes. But why? You avoid answering the question. How do you evaluate this? How did you come to this conclusion?

 

I want you to explain this a little more.

"For example Jesus had a much more impact on human history than say Richard Feynman who was a great scientist, because...

[JohnB]

Luiz Goltran. (Spanish Shepherd)

[Alan McDougall]

Yes. But why? You avoid answering the question. How do you evaluate this? How did you come to this conclusion?

 

I want you to explain this a little more.

"For example Jesus had a much more impact on human history than say Richard Feynman who was a great scientist, because...

 

A scientfic indication of his enormous knowledge that could not possibly be understood at the time was hidden in the pararble of the mustard seed.

Mustard Seed

 

Jesus told them another parable: . . . (Matt. 13:31-32)

 

"The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches

 

This might mean, the kingdom of heaven (The universe) like a mustard seed the smallest seed (The Singularity) in his field (Existence multi-universes) yet when it grows (The expansion of the universe) the Largest of the plants (Again the whole universe)becomes a tree (Galaxy formation) Birds of the (Sentient life) Air (Spacetime) perch on its branches (Branches are glaxies) ( Bird are Life) Perch on branches (branches are galaxies birds are life seeded on planets in galaxies)

 

His plants might mean that there are many other universes in existence. Plants=universes, Garden=multi-univereses of all of existence? These are my own particular thought by Alan

 

 

 

Jesus had more infuence on human history than Richard Feyman because?

 

Jesus Christ’s Effect on History

 

Flavius Josephus, Jewish historian, became a Pharisee at 19, later commander, of the Jewish forces in Galilee. Captured by Romans and attached to their headquarters. Born: 34AD

 

“Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man if it be lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many Jews, and many of the Gentiles. He was the Christ, and when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men among us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first, did not forsake him; for he appeared to them alive again the third day; as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him. And the tribe of Christians so named from him are not extinct at this day.”

 

 

Pontius Pilate, Roman governor of Judea who ordered Christ's crucifixion, first century A.D

 

Wrote to the Roman emperor Tiberius Caesar:

 

"And him, Herod, and Archelaus and Philip, Annas, and Caiphas, with all the people, delivered to me, making a great uproar against me that I should try Him (Christ). I, therefore, ordered Him to be crucified, having first scourged Him, and having found against Him no cause of evil accusations or deeds. At the time he was crucified, there was darkness over all the world, the sun being darkened at midday, and the stars appearing, but in them there appeared no luster; and the moon, as if turned into blood, failed in her light."

 

 

Julian the Apostate, Roman Emperor from 361-363 A.D. and one of the most gifted ancient adversaries to Christianity.

 

In his work against Christianity:

 

“Jesus…has now been celebrated about three hundred years having done nothing in his lifetime worthy of fame, unless anyone thinks it is a very great work to heal lame and blind people and exorcise demoniacs in the villages of Bethsaida and Bethany.”

 

But at the end of his life was forced to say:

 

“Thou has conquered, O Galilean!”

 

- He also affirms the authenticity of all four gospels.

 

 

Thallus, Samaritan-born historian, wrote A.D. 52. His writings have disappeared and we know of them only from fragments cited by other writers.

 

One such writer is Julian Africanus, A Christian writer of about 221 A.D. who says:

 

“Thallus, in the third book of his histories, explains away this darkness as an eclipse of the sun – unreasonable as it seems to me (unreasonable of course, because a solar eclipse could not take place at the time of the full moon, and it was at the season of the Paschal full moon that Christ died).”

 

 

Carnegie Simpson

 

“Jesus is not one of the group of world’s great. Talk about Alexander the Great and Charles the Great and Napoleon the Great if you will…Jesus is apart. He is not the Great – He is the only.”

 

 

David Strauss, German theologian who applied Hegelian philosophy to the study of the Bible.

 

Toward the end of his life

 

“This Christ…is historical, not mythical, is an individual, no mere symbol…”

 

 

E. M. Blaiklock

 

“Luke is a consummate historian, to be ranked in his own right with the great writers of the Greeks.”

 

 

Bruce M. Metzger

 

“Today no competent scholar denies the historicity of Jesus.”

 

 

H. G. Wells, British writer, 1866-1946

 

 

“In the reign of Tiberius Caesar a great teacher arose out of Judea who was to liberate the intense realization of the righteousness and unchallengeable oneness of God, and of man’s moral obligation to God…This was Jesus of Nazareth…Is it any wonder that to this day the Galilean is too much for our small hearts.”

 

 

Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of the French

 

"You speak of Caesar, of Alexander, of their conquests and of the enthusiasm which they enkindled in the hearts of their soldiers; but can you conceive of a dead man making conquests, with an army faithful and entirely devoted to his memory? My armies have forgotten me even while living, as the Carthaginian army forgot Hannibal. Such is our power.”

 

“I know men and I tell you, Jesus Christ is no mere man. Between him and every other person in the world there is no possible term of comparison. Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I have founded empires. But on what did we rest the creations of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ founded his empire upon love; and at this hour, millions would die for him.”

 

“I search in vain history to find similar to Jesus Christ, or anything which can approach the gospel. Neither history nor humanity, nor ages, nor nature, offer me anything with which I am able to compare it or to explain it. Here everything is extraordinary.”

 

 

Ernest Renan, French historian, religious scholar and linguist

 

“All history is incomprehensible without Christ.”

 

“Whatever may be the surprises of the future, Jesus will never be surpassed.”

 

 

William E. Channing, American religious leader whose writings and sermons led to the emergence of Unitarianism, 1780-1842

 

“The sages and heroes of history are receding from us, and history contracts the record of their deeds into a narrower and narrower page. But time has no power over the name and deeds and words of Jesus Christ.”

 

 

P. Carnegie Simpson,

 

Concerning Christianity said:

 

“Is a fact of history recognizable as any other.”

 

 

H. G. Wells, British writer, 1866-1946

 

 

When asked which person left the most permanent impression on history, he replied that judging a person’s greatness by historical standards:

 

“By this test, Jesus stands first.”

 

“I am a historian, I am not a believer, but I must confess as a historian that this penniless preacher from Nazareth is irrevocably the very center of history. Jesus Christ is easily the most dominant figure in all history.”

 

“Christ is the most unique person of history. No man can write a history of the human race without giving first and foremost place to the penniless teacher of Nazareth.”

 

 

Kenneth Scott Latourette, former President of American Historic Society

 

 

In A History of Christianity:

 

“It is evidence of His importance, of the effect that He has had upon history and presumably, of the baffling mystery of His being that no other life ever lived on this planet has evoked so huge a volume of literature among so many people and languages, and that, far from ebbing, the flood continues to mount.”

 

“As the centuries pass by, the evidence is accumulating that measured by its effect on history, Jesus is the most influential life ever lived on this planet. The influence appears to be mounting.”

 

“No other life lived on this planet has so widely and deeply affected mankind.”

 

 

George Bancroft, great American historian

 

“I find the name of Jesus Christ written on the top of every page of modern history.”

 

 

One Solitary Life

 

Nearly two thousand years ago in an obscure village, a child was born of a peasant woman. He grew up in another village where He worked as a carpenter until He was thirty. Then for three years He became an itinerant preacher.

 

This man never went to college or seminary. He never wrote a book. He never held a public office. He never had a family nor owned a home. He never put His foot inside a big city nor traveled even 200 miles from His birthplace. And though He never did any of the things that usually accompany greatness, throngs of people followed Him. He had no credentials but Himself.

 

While He was still young, the tide of public opinion turned against Him. His followers ran away. He was turned over to His enemies and sentenced to death on a cross between two thieves. While He was dying, His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had on earth – the simple coat He had worn. His body was laid in a borrowed grave provided by a compassionate friend.

 

But three days later this Man arose from the dead – living proof that He was, as He had claimed, the Savior whom God had sent, the Incarnate Son of God.

 

Nineteen centuries have come and gone and today the risen Lord Jesus Christ is the central figure of the human race. On our calendars His birth divides history into two eras. One day of every week is set aside in remembrance of Him. And our two most important holidays celebrate His birth and resurrection. On church steeples around the world, His cross has become the symbol of victory over sin and death.

 

This one Man’s life has furnished the theme for more songs, books, poems and paintings than any other person or event in history. Thousands of colleges, hospitals, orphanages and other institutions have been founded in honor of this One who gave His life for us.

 

All the armies that ever marched, all the navies that ever sailed, all the governments that ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned have not changed the course of history as much as this One Solitary Life.

 

 

Daniel Webster, American politician., 1782-1852

 

 

“All that is best in the civilization of today, is the fruit of Christ’s appearance among men.”

 

 

Will Durant, popular modern historian and philosopher

 

 

When asked what he felt the apex of history was:

 

“the three years that Jesus of Nazareth walked the earth.”

Edited July 10, 2012 by Alan McDougall

[Bill Angel]

We are not comparing apples and oranges as you state, we are trying to compare who influenced or impacted human history the most.

 

For example Jesus had a much more impact on human history than say Richard Feynman who was a great scientist.

Richard Feynman was also part of the group that worked on the atomic bomb during the second world war. The team that came up with the atomic bomb has had a pretty big influence on human history.

[CaptainPanic]

Alan McDougall, I'm sorry that I have to say that you totally fail to answer my question.

You give some anecdotes of other famous people talking about Jesus, but none of them made the comparison with Feynman. So, how can you conclude anything about the comparison? I understand you're a devout Christian, so for you Jesus is the #1 important person ever, and there's no point in questioning that. But we in this thread, we are questioning it, so we need arguments and criteria.

 

So, allow me to do a proposal for some criteria for our comparison between Jesus and Feynman:

 

1. Number of peer reviewed publications? (more is better).

2. Worked on the Manhattan project? (yes is good, no is bad)

3. Worked on superconductivity? (yes is good, no is bad)

4. worked on particle physics? (yes is good, no is bad)

5. Number of public speeches? (more is better)

 

You see? According to my criteria, Feynman is a much more influential person than Jesus. Doubtlessly you'll disagree... but at least this discussion will enter a next phase where we can discuss how we rate the influence of people.

[Joatmon]

Cancelled my choices as they have been covered by others - sorry.

Edited July 10, 2012 by Joatmon

[Alan McDougall]

Alan McDougall, I'm sorry that I have to say that you totally fail to answer my question.

You give some anecdotes of other famous people talking about Jesus, but none of them made the comparison with Feynman. So, how can you conclude anything about the comparison? I understand you're a devout Christian, so for you Jesus is the #1 important person ever, and there's no point in questioning that. But we in this thread, we are questioning it, so we need arguments and criteria.

 

So, allow me to do a proposal for some criteria for our comparison between Jesus and Feynman:

 

1. Number of peer reviewed publications? (more is better).

2. Worked on the Manhattan project? (yes is good, no is bad)

3. Worked on superconductivity? (yes is good, no is bad)

4. worked on particle physics? (yes is good, no is bad)

5. Number of public speeches? (more is better)

 

You see? According to my criteria, Feynman is a much more influential person than Jesus. Doubtlessly you'll disagree... but at least this discussion will enter a next phase where we can discuss how we rate the influence of people.

 

We are not looking at the impact that Jesus had of one person like you!!.

 

I know Richard Feynman was a great scientist, but his only real practical contribution to human history was his part in creating the atom bomb. He worked on those things that you mentioned, but that had almost no influence on human history. Almost no one outside the scientific community knows anything about Richard Feynman. Nearly every person even young children across the ages know or knew about Jesus. I communicate with people in China India and most of that huge population know about Jesus and his gospel of peace and love. If I asked my friends in these great countries if the knew about Richard Feynman I am sure they will say they have no idea who he is or was. They nearly all know about Jesus even if they don’t follow his teachings

 

 

One Solitary Life

 

Nearly two thousand years ago in an obscure village, a child was born of a peasant woman. He grew up in another village where He worked as a carpenter until He was thirty. Then for three years He became an itinerant preacher.

 

This man never went to college or seminary. He never wrote a book. He never held a public office. He never had a family nor owned a home. He never put His foot inside a big city nor traveled even 200 miles from His birthplace. And though He never did any of the things that usually accompany greatness, throngs of people followed Him. He had no credentials but Himself.

 

While He was still young, the tide of public opinion turned against Him. His followers ran away. He was turned over to His enemies and sentenced to death on a cross between two thieves. While He was dying, His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had on earth – the simple coat He had worn. His body was laid in a borrowed grave provided by a compassionate friend.

 

But three days later this Man arose from the dead – living proof that He was, as He had claimed, the Savior whom God had sent, the Incarnate Son of God.

 

Nineteen centuries have come and gone and today the risen Lord Jesus Christ is the central figure of the human race. On our calendars His birth divides history into two eras. One day of every week is set aside in remembrance of Him. And our two most important holidays celebrate His birth and resurrection. On church steeples around the world, His cross has become the symbol of victory over sin and death.

 

This one Man’s life has furnished the theme for more songs, books, poems and paintings than any other person or event in history. Thousands of colleges, hospitals, orphanages and other institutions have been founded in honor of this One who gave His life for us.

 

All the armies that ever marched, all the navies that ever sailed, all the governments that ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned have not changed the course of history as much as this One Solitary Life.

 

Read the above and comment please!

[CaptainPanic]

The main comment

My main comment (after reading your post) is that you chose some criteria. And I chose (in my previous post) some different criteria. I completely disagree with your criteria, and you disagree with mine. So, it appears that to give a rating of who-is-more-influential-than-who seems a very subjective matter!

 

The details

But I am happy to discuss the details... so here we go.

 

We are not looking at the impact that Jesus had of one person like you!!.

Nor are we looking at the impact that Jesus had of one person like you!!

 

You choose some criteria to determine who is more influential. And I choose some other criteria. I am sure that I can find people who agree with me too.

 

I know Richard Feynman was a great scientist, but his only real practical contribution to human history was his part in creating the atom bomb. He worked on those things that you mentioned, but that had almost no influence on human history. Almost no one outside the scientific community knows anything about Richard Feynman. Nearly every person even young children across the ages know or knew about Jesus. I communicate with people in China India and most of that huge population know about Jesus and his gospel of peace and love. If I asked my friends in these great countries if the knew about Richard Feynman I am sure they will say they have no idea who he is or was. They nearly all know about Jesus even if they don’t follow his teachings

They also all know Lady Gaga. Influential and famous are not the same thing.

 

One Solitary Life

 

Nearly two thousand years ago in an obscure village, a child was born of a peasant woman. He grew up in another village where He worked as a carpenter until He was thirty. Then for three years He became an itinerant preacher.

 

This man never went to college or seminary. He never wrote a book. He never held a public office. He never had a family nor owned a home. He never put His foot inside a big city nor traveled even 200 miles from His birthplace. And though He never did any of the things that usually accompany greatness, throngs of people followed Him. He had no credentials but Himself.

 

While He was still young, the tide of public opinion turned against Him. His followers ran away. He was turned over to His enemies and sentenced to death on a cross between two thieves. While He was dying, His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had on earth – the simple coat He had worn. His body was laid in a borrowed grave provided by a compassionate friend.

 

But three days later this Man arose from the dead – living proof that He was, as He had claimed, the Savior whom God had sent, the Incarnate Son of God.

 

Nineteen centuries have come and gone and today the risen Lord Jesus Christ is the central figure of the human race.

Not true. Christians are only 31-35% of the world's population, and I don't believe that all those Christians hold Jesus as the central figure in their lives... so the actual number of people who do so is lower. So, perhaps 1 in every 4 people agree with you. The other 3 out of every 4 will probably disagree.

 

On our calendars His birth divides history into two eras. One day of every week is set aside in remembrance of Him. And our two most important holidays celebrate His birth and resurrection. On church steeples around the world, His cross has become the symbol of victory over sin and death.

The month July is named after Julius Caesar. August after emperor Augustus.

The days of the week are named after the sun and the planets - also by the Romans.

 

The church adapted in a very practical way to an already existing Roman system, and Jesus has nothing to do with this adaptation.

 

 

This one Man’s life has furnished the theme for more songs, books, poems and paintings than any other person or event in history.

A quantifyable criterion! Something we can test. Nice. Areyou sure he'll beat Michael Jackson? And does the pure number of songs count, or also the number of times it has been listened to?

 

Thousands of colleges, hospitals, orphanages and other institutions have been founded in honor of this One who gave His life for us.

The most common school name in the USA seems to be Lincoln school (list)... but both Feynman and Jesus do not appear on the list at all.

 

All the armies that ever marched, all the navies that ever sailed, all the governments that ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned have not changed the course of history as much as this One Solitary Life.

Meh. I still disagree. And we were comparing a scientist to Jesus, not an army commander, an admiral or a government leader.

 

 

Read the above and comment please!

See above.