July 25

Born in 1772, Samuel Taylor Coleridge co-founded the English Romantic movement alongside William Wordsworth. His landmark poem "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" revolutionized narrative verse with its supernatural themes. Coleridge’s prose works, including "Biographia Literaria," established him as a pioneering literary critic and philosopher. He explored imagination, perception, and the nature of poetry in his lectures and writings. Coleridge struggled with health issues and opium addiction, which influenced much of his work. Despite personal challenges, his contributions continue to shape modern poetry and literary criticism.

Born in Shibīn al-Kawm, Abdel Rahman Badawi became one of the foremost figures in 20th-century Arabic existentialism. He published numerous works on mysticism, ontology, and poetry, bridging classical Islamic philosophy with Western existentialist ideas. As a professor at Cairo University, he influenced generations of thinkers across the Arab world. His poetry collections reflect deep introspection and a modernist sensibility. Badawi’s intellectual legacy endures through his extensive writings and translations.

John Passmore authored the seminal text "A Hundred Years of Philosophy" (1957), offering a comprehensive overview of analytic philosophy. As Professor of Philosophy at the Australian National University, he championed clarity and rigor in philosophical inquiry. Passmore’s work addressed ethics, epistemology, and the philosophy of religion, shaping curricula worldwide. He also served as an advisor to government bodies on education and research policy. His clear writing style and historical approach continue to guide students and scholars.