As one who tends to “name drop”, I would like to discuss a few intellectuals who have influenced me and who I see myself in the most. The fitting figure to begin with is Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900). Nietzsche was first a philologist, and then became a musician and philosopher, with some political musings from time to time. I find that I am strikingly comparable to Nietzsche in our philosophies (note that neither of us are Übermenschen), but I am a Kantian in ethics. I have studied classics for four years now, and will definitely continue that study through university, and possibly even more. I do not nearly the same love or talent for music that Nietzsche does. But the fact that we both have backgrounds in philology and philosophy, coupled with our views of society makes Nietzsche a figure I admire and aspire to be like.
A second scholar who I see a lot of myself in is Bertrand Russell (1872-1970). He was a Cambridge mathematician, philosopher and political activist, and there are some striking similarities. To begin, our childhoods were both filled with a fascination with mathematics. Granted, I am not the genius that Russell is by a long shot, but we still have the same passion for the subject. We both saw no room for god in a world run by mathematics, and moved on to a love of philosophy. But politically we differ; Russell is a socialist and I would rather be stuck dead than live in a socialist country (sorry Laos). I would give almost anything to study at Cambridge or Oxford, which has been one of my chief goals since I grasped what those more than glorious institutions represented, but not to get ahead of myself. Russell’s love of mathematics, his rational atheistic philosophy, and his ethic make me admire him, and the influence on his writings cannot be ignored. Granted, I a tenth the ladies man that Russell was.
The next two scholars that I would like to discuss are inevitably linked together, but I find myself drawn much more to one as opposed to the other. These two scholars are also poets; Thomas Stearns (T.S.) Eliot (1888-1965) and Ezra Pound (1895-1972). Eliot is both a philosophy scholar (PhD, Harvard) and the titan of modernist poetry. I am not incredibly well read in Eliot, I am sad to say, but I have read his most important works and am very intrigued by what I have read. Regardless, his background in free-verse and philosophy makes him a scholar I have great admiration for.
Pound and Eliot both use classical languages in their works, and as a budding classicist myself this draws me to them. Pound is lord of the cultural reference, and I use an abundance of them in my writing, even if they are lost to most readers. While I do not agree with Pound’s political views, or views on the Jewish people, I am greatly enamored with his writing style and dense lyrics. I have not yet completed reading The Cantos, but I plan to in time. Pound’s blend of languages with elevated poetry and great scholarship makes him an intellectual that I admire. (I am also applying to Pound’s alma mater, Hamilton College, and one of my best friends is going to be enrolling there starting next year).
Umberto Eco (1932-) is an Italian novelist, philosopher, linguist and literary critic with a specialty in medieval historical fiction and history. He is a glorious amalgam of my interests, and he is a driving force in modern literature. Eco is a great scholar, and I find myself to be drawn to his linguistic works. I have not been fortunate enough to read any of his novels, but I plan to in the near future.
A last intellectual who has had great influence on me is Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-1980). He really doesn’t need an introduction, but his brand of existentialism and literary pursuits make him exceedingly admirable. I find myself standing up and pumping my fist in the air while reading Sartre, for I have felt the same anguish and ideas (this is an experience I find myself having while reading Nietzsche as well.) I have held off on reading his fiction, for I believe that language is an essential part of literature and I cannot read French as of this point. If I become a linguist (which his very possible) I will learn French enough to read his works as well as other great French writers.
I would lastly like to give a list of some other intellectuals whom I admire, but I choose not to discuss here. James Joyce (1882-1941), Thomas Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924), Stephen Hawking (1942-), Jeffery Sachs (1954-) and Roger Penrose (1931-) all have a special place in the hall of my favorite academics, intellectuals and scholars, and I would like nothing more than to be a scholar and writer as the greats that I have listed in this post.
