Your Favorite Historical Figure

UtilityMonster · #1 by **UtilityMonster** » Sep 30, 2010 9:49 pm

It is fairly clear who mine is,

although the other one I would like to mention is Joseph II of Austria.

Oh yes, and last but of course not least: Jeremy Bentham

Who are your favorites, and why?

(I just realized I have a particular fondness for white men...)

THWOTH · #2 by **THWOTH** » Sep 30, 2010 9:57 pm

Sherlock Holmes.

:evilgrin:

HomerJay · #3 by **HomerJay** » Sep 30, 2010 10:31 pm

jamest · #4 by **jamest** » Sep 30, 2010 10:48 pm

MillsianUtilitarian wrote:Who are your favorites, and why?

It's probably the 'why' part of the answer that is the most interesting. That's because the answer would expose your own ideals and desires. So, this is more of a psychology thread, than a history one.

Mazille · #5 by **Mazille** » Sep 30, 2010 10:50 pm

MillsianUtilitarian wrote:
although the other one I would like to mention is Joseph II of Austria.

Why? If I may ask.

For me... I couldn't say. Loads of interesting characters all around. Some Cosimo de’ Medici or other, or one of their rivals, dozens of Roman politicians and emperors, loads of various kings and queens. (I could go on through the ages, but what is the point, really?)
They all have their downsides, though so I wouldn't exactly say "favourite".

LIFE · #6 by **LIFE** » Sep 30, 2010 11:34 pm

Mazille wrote:

Why? If I may ask.

For me... I couldn't say. Loads of interesting characters all around. Some Cosimo de’ Medici or other, or one of their rivals, dozens of Roman politicians and emperors, loads of various kings and queens. (I could go on through the ages, but what is the point, really?)
They all have their downsides, though so I wouldn't exactly say "favourite".

Be quiet or you'll be my least favourite historical figure :stab:

THWOTH · #7 by **THWOTH** » Sep 30, 2010 11:39 pm

Don't say that, he's actually my favourite hysterical figure. :holysheep:

Ironclad · #8 by **Ironclad** » Sep 30, 2010 11:55 pm

Hammurabi

Mazille · #9 by **Mazille** » Oct 01, 2010 7:41 am

LIFE wrote:
Be quiet or you'll be my least favourite historical figure

Wha... Why? :eh:

THWOTH wrote:Don't say that, he's actually my favourite hysterical figure.

klazmon · **#10** by **klazmon** » Oct 01, 2010 7:50 am

Epicurus.

Lewis · **#11** by **Lewis** » Oct 01, 2010 8:58 am

A sword in one hand, and the dove of peace in the other, jamest?

Berthold · **#12** by **Berthold** » Oct 05, 2010 4:37 pm

There are so many fields of achievement, I'd first have to decide which of them to rate highest. Impossible for me.

HughMcB · **#13** by **HughMcB** » Oct 05, 2010 4:39 pm

klazmon wrote:Epicurus.

THWOTH · **#14** by **THWOTH** » Oct 05, 2010 6:36 pm

Ivanhoe!

Areopagitican · **#15** by **Areopagitican** » Oct 05, 2010 7:06 pm

Dante Alighieri, Thomas Aquinas, or Richard Nixon.

UtilityMonster · **#16** by **UtilityMonster** » Oct 06, 2010 12:57 am

Mazille wrote:

Why [Joseph II]? If I may ask.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_II_ ... e_policies

When Maria Theresa died, Joseph started issuing edicts—6,000 in all, plus 11,000 new laws designed to regulate and reorder every aspect of the empire. The spirit of Josephinism was benevolent and paternal. He intended to make his people happy, but strictly in accordance with his own criteria.

The busy Joseph inspired a complete reform of the legal system, abolished brutal punishments and the death penalty in most instances, and imposed the principle of complete equality of treatment for all offenders. He ended censorship of the press and theatre.

In 1781–82 he extended full legal freedom to serfs.

To equalize the incidence of taxation, Joseph caused an appraisal of all the lands of the empire to be made so that he might impose a single and egalitarian tax on land. The goal was to modernize the relationship of dependence between the landowners and peasantry, relieve some of the tax burden on the peasantry, and increase state revenues.

To produce a literate citizenry, elementary education was made compulsory for all boys and girls, and higher education on practical lines was offered for a select few. He created scholarships for talented poor students, and allowed the establishment of schools for Jews and other religious minorities. In 1784 he ordered that the country change its language of instruction from Latin to German, a highly controversial step in a multilingual empire.

Joseph's policy of religious toleration was the most advanced of any state in Europe.

Joseph sharply cut the number of holy days to be observed in the Empire and ordered ornamentation in churches to be reduced.

The one flaw with him (indeed no one is perfect) was his foreign policy, which was still understandable for the brutal time period in which he lived.

In foreign policy, there was no Enlightenment, only greed for more territory and willingness to undertake unpopular wars.

Aside from that, he was far more advanced than the times in which he lived.

Lewis · **#17** by **Lewis** » Oct 06, 2010 7:06 am

I admire the way Einstein achieved his breakthroughs not so much by empirical methods but through intuitive leaps of the mind.

Wiðercora · **#18** by **Wiðercora** » Oct 06, 2010 8:08 am

Johannes Gutenberg, for obvious reasons.

Animavore · **#19** by **Animavore** » Oct 06, 2010 8:11 am

Hitler, Genghis Khan, Vlad the Impaler... I don't know why, I just love evil bastards. I rooted for Darth Vader as a child.

twistor59 · **#20** by **twistor59** » Oct 06, 2010 8:19 am

Jesus Christ, Lord of Lords, King of Kings, beloved son of the most high God.

(or maybe Buffy the Vampire Slayer)