May 29

Oswald Spengler was a German historian and philosopher who examined the rise and fall of civilizations in his seminal work The Decline of the West. He proposed that cultures undergo predictable life cycles, resembling biological organisms. Spengler’s ideas challenged progressive views of history and sparked extensive debate across Europe. His comparative approach influenced later scholars in history, sociology, and political theory. While controversial, his thesis remains a landmark in the study of civilizational dynamics.

Born in 1929, Harry Frankfurt served as a professor at Princeton University, where he influenced generations of students. His 1969 paper introducing the concept of 'Frankfurt cases' revolutionized discussions on free will and moral responsibility. In 2005, his essay On Bullshit became a bestseller and brought philosophical ideas to a wider audience. Throughout his career, Frankfurt published extensively on ethics, political philosophy, and the complexities of human motivations. He received numerous honors for his scholarly contributions, including the National Humanities Medal. Frankfurt's clear prose and original insights left a lasting impact on contemporary philosophy.