So our poll got over 650 responses; here's the top 20:
| 1. Aristotle (Condorcet winner: wins contests with all other choices) |
| 2. Immanuel Kant loses to Aristotle by 364–227 |
| 3. Plato loses to Aristotle by 414–168, loses to Immanuel Kant by 349–241 |
| 4. David Hume loses to Aristotle by 494–95, loses to Plato by 378–197 |
| 5. John Stuart Mill loses to Aristotle by 493–102, loses to David Hume by 292–271 |
| 6. Socrates loses to Aristotle by 464–104, loses to John Stuart Mill by 292–250 |
| 7. Thomas Hobbes loses to Aristotle by 556–29, loses to Socrates by 319–192 |
| 8. John Rawls loses to Aristotle by 557–38, loses to Thomas Hobbes by 272–250 |
| 9. Jeremy Bentham loses to Aristotle by 543–39, loses to John Rawls by 273–250 |
| 10. Aquinas loses to Aristotle by 547–23, loses to Jeremy Bentham by 280–222 |
| 11. Augustine loses to Aristotle by 550–20, loses to Aquinas by 306–131 |
| 12. Friedrich Nietzsche loses to Aristotle by 542–57, loses to Augustine by 263–247 |
| 13. Soren Kierkegaard loses to Aristotle by 553–31, loses to Friedrich Nietzsche by 290–210 |
| 14. Epicurus loses to Aristotle by 554–21, loses to Soren Kierkegaard by 218–214 |
| 15. Henry Sidgwick loses to Aristotle by 542–27, loses to Epicurus by 286–181 |
| 16. Jean-Jacques Rousseau loses to Aristotle by 566–21, loses to Henry Sidgwick by 242–216 |
| 17. G.E. Moore loses to Aristotle by 563–20, loses to Jean-Jacques Rousseau by 264–191 |
| 18. Benedict Spinoza loses to Aristotle by 543–24, loses to G.E. Moore by 252–194 |
| 19. G.E.M. Anscombe loses to Aristotle by 555–13, loses to Benedict Spinoza by 268–165 |
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20. G.W.F. Hegel loses to Aristotle by 546–14, loses to G.E.M. Anscombe by 227–161 |
I'm not surprised by the top five, all of which I would have picked for the top ten, except perhaps Kant. But thereafter I do marvel at what my colleagues think! Thoughts from readers on the results, and what they say about the current state of philosophy? Signed comments strongly preferred. You may, of course, lament the absence of your favorite philosophers from the poll, though do consider whether they would have likely craked "the top 20." (Of those that didn't make the top 20, the biggest surprise to my mind is Adam Smith.)
