October 17

Nikolay Chernyshevsky was born in 1828 and became a leading intellectual voice in Imperial Russia. His novel "What Is to Be Done?" inspired generations of revolutionaries by advocating utilitarian socialism and critiquing autocracy. As a literary critic, he championed realism and social reform in Russian literature. Arrested for his political activities, he spent years in prison and exile, where he continued to write and correspond with radicals. He died on October 17, 1889. Chernyshevsky's ideas profoundly influenced the Russian intelligentsia and revolutionary movements.

Karl Kautsky was born in Prague in 1854 and became a major intellectual force in socialist movements across Europe. He edited influential journals such as Die Neue Zeit and wrote seminal works on Marxist theory, challenging revisionist interpretations. Kautsky’s critiques and debates with contemporaries like Eduard Bernstein shaped the ideological battles within the socialist movement. Despite initial prominence, he later faced criticism for his stance on World War I and the Russian Revolution. His extensive writings on political economy, democracy, and religion continue to be studied by scholars of socialism.

Raymond Aron was born in 1905 and emerged as a leading voice in 20th-century social thought. He critically examined totalitarian ideologies and advocated for liberal democracy in works like 'The Opium of the Intellectuals'. Aron’s scholarship spanned sociology, political science, and philosophy, influencing both academia and public discourse. He served as a professor at prestigious institutions and wrote extensively as a journalist and commentator. His balanced analysis of geopolitical tensions during the Cold War remains a cornerstone of political philosophy.