March 03

Born in 1583 into a Welsh noble family, Edward Herbert served with distinction as a soldier on the continent during the Thirty Years’ War. In 1628 he was elevated to the peerage as Baron Herbert of Cherbury. His diplomatic missions included negotiations in France and the Netherlands. He authored groundbreaking philosophical treatises such as De Veritate and De Religione Laici, arguing that human reason and nature reveal the existence of God. Herbert’s work laid the foundations for deism and influenced Enlightenment thinkers. He also wrote historical accounts and poetry, showcasing his wide-ranging intellect.

Born in 1756 in Wisbech, Godwin began his career as a Unitarian minister before shifting to writing and political journalism. His seminal work, An Enquiry Concerning Political Justice (1793), critiqued government institutions and advocated for rational morality and social reform. In 1794 he published the novel Caleb Williams, an early example of the detective genre exploring themes of power and justice. Married to feminist writer Mary Wollstonecraft, he became stepfather to Mary Shelley and influenced the Romantic circle. Godwin’s ideas on individual liberty and critiques of marriage resonated throughout the 19th century. He died in 1836, leaving a legacy as a radical thinker.

Georg Cantor (1845–1918) was a groundbreaking mathematician who developed set theory and introduced the concept of different sizes of infinity. He defined cardinalities of sets and proved that the set of real numbers is uncountably infinite. Cantor posed the famous continuum hypothesis, which remains a central challenge in mathematical logic. His work faced fierce opposition from contemporaries like Leopold Kronecker but eventually became foundational to modern mathematics. Cantor’s introduction of transfinite numbers reshaped fields from analysis to topology. He also engaged in philosophical writings exploring the nature of mathematical reality. Despite personal struggles with mental illness, Cantor’s legacy endures in every branch of mathematics.

Émile Chartier (1868–1951), better known by his pseudonym Alain, was a French philosopher celebrated for his concise moral essays. He taught history and philosophy in French lycées, influencing generations of students with his clear thinking. Chartier wrote daily columns titled 'Propos,' blending philosophical reflection with commentary on contemporary events. A vocal pacifist during World War I, he critiqued nationalism and advocated for humanist values. His works, including 'Introduction to Moral Philosophy,' remain influential in French education. Chartier’s blend of journalism and philosophy made complex ideas accessible to a broad audience.

Born in New York City, Walzer completed his doctorate at Harvard University before joining the faculty at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton. He gained recognition for his groundbreaking book 'Just and Unjust Wars', which revived moral discussions about warfare. In 'Spheres of Justice', he advanced a complex theory of distributive justice grounded in social pluralism. A prolific essayist and public intellectual, he has written extensively on community, democracy, and national identity. Walzer's clear prose and rigorous arguments have influenced both academic and public debates on ethics and political theory.

Born in Veselinovo, Zhelev earned his PhD in philosophy before criticizing Bulgaria's communist regime. He published banned works and co-founded the Club for Support of Glasnost and Perestroika, becoming a prominent dissident. In 1989, he was elected chairman of the Union of Democratic Forces as Bulgaria's political landscape shifted. He assumed the presidency in 1990, overseeing economic reforms and Bulgaria's first free elections. Zhelev worked to establish stronger ties with Western Europe and pursued Bulgaria's entry into international institutions. After leaving office in 1997, he continued writing on philosophy and social issues until his death in 2015.