November 17

Born in London in 1886, Walter Terence Stace served in the Ceylon Civil Service before turning to academic philosophy. He authored seminal works such as "The Teachings of the Mystics" and "Mysticism and Philosophy," exploring the nature of mystical experience across cultures. Stace held a professorship at Princeton University where he shaped mid-20th century philosophical discourse. His clear, analytical approach bridged Eastern and Western thought and continues to influence studies of consciousness and religion.

Lev Vygotsky, born in 1896, introduced groundbreaking ideas about the social nature of learning and the concept of the Zone of Proximal Development. His work emphasized the critical role of language and interaction in shaping thought processes. Although he died young in 1934, his theories gained global recognition decades later and now underpin modern educational practices and developmental psychology research.