The Most Famous
PHILOSOPHERS from Estonia
This page contains a list of the greatest Estonian Philosophers. The pantheon dataset contains 1,081 Philosophers, 4 of which were born in Estonia. This makes Estonia the birth place of the 38th most number of Philosophers behind Australia and Portugal.
Top 4
The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Estonian Philosophers of all time. This list of famous Estonian Philosophers is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.
1. Adolf von Harnack (1851 - 1930)
With an HPI of 60.09, Adolf von Harnack is the most famous Estonian Philosopher. His biography has been translated into 32 different languages on wikipedia.
Carl Gustav Adolf von Harnack (born Harnack; 7 May 1851 – 10 June 1930) was a Baltic German Lutheran theologian and prominent Church historian. He produced many religious publications from 1873 to 1912 (in which he is sometimes credited as Adolf Harnack). He was ennobled (with the addition of von to his name) in 1914. Harnack traced the influence of Hellenistic philosophy on early Christian writings and called on Christians to question the authenticity of doctrines that arose in the early Christian church. He rejected the historicity of the Gospel of John in favor of the Synoptic Gospels, criticized the Apostles' Creed, and promoted the Social Gospel. In the 19th century, higher criticism flourished in Germany, establishing the historical-critical method as an academic standard for interpreting the Bible and understanding the historical Jesus (see Tübingen school). Harnack's work is part of a reaction to Tübingen, and represents a reappraisal of tradition. Besides his theological activities, Harnack was a distinguished organizer of sciences. He played an important role in the foundation of the Kaiser Wilhelm Gesellschaft and became its first president.
2. Hermann von Keyserling (1880 - 1946)
With an HPI of 54.76, Hermann von Keyserling is the 2nd most famous Estonian Philosopher. His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.
Hermann Alexander Graf von Keyserling (20 July [O.S. 8] 1880 – 26 April 1946) was a Baltic German philosopher from the Keyserlingk family. His grandfather, Alexander von Keyserling, was a notable geologist of Imperial Russia.
3. Hendrik Adamson (1891 - 1946)
With an HPI of 46.65, Hendrik Adamson is the 3rd most famous Estonian Philosopher. His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.
Hendrik Adamson (6 October [O.S. 24 September] 1891 – 7 March 1946) was an Estonian poet and teacher. He was born as a son of a tailor in Patsi farmstead in the village of Metsakuru, Kärstna Parish (now in the village of Veisjärve, Viljandi Parish), Viljandi County. He started working as a teacher at the Torma Võtikvere Ministry of Education in 1911. From 1919 to 1927 he was the head of the primary school in Kärstna. Subsequently, he became a professional writer and a member of the Estonian Writers' Union. Notable poems include "Mulgimaa" (Tartu, 1919), "Inimen" (Tartu, 1925), "Tõus ja mõõn" (Tartu, 1931), "Kolletuspäev" (Tartu, 1934), "Mälestuste maja" (Tartu, 1936) and "Linnulaul" (Tartu, 1937). He also published the novels "Kuldblond neitsi" and "Roheline sisalik" (Tartu, 1925).
4. Uku Masing (1909 - 1985)
With an HPI of 46.53, Uku Masing is the 4th most famous Estonian Philosopher. His biography has been translated into 16 different languages.
Uku Masing (born Hugo Albert Masing, 11 August 1909 – 25 April 1985) was an Estonian philosopher. He was a significant figure in Estonian religious philosophy. Masing also wrote poetry, mostly on religious issues. Masing authored one novel, Rapanui vabastamine ehk Kajakad jumalate kalmistul (Liberation of Rapa Nui, or Seagulls at the Cemetery of Gods) in the late 1930s, which was published posthumously in 1989. As a folklorist, he was a distinguished researcher of fairy tales, contributing to the international Encyclopedia of the Folktale. He was awarded the Righteous Among The Nations by Yad Vashem and the Israeli Supreme Court for his participation during the Holocaust in helping a Jew in Estonia escape capture from 1941 until the end of the war. His actions exposed him to great danger during this period requiring him to meet with his friend as well as lying to the Gestapo.
Pantheon has 4 people classified as philosophers born between 1851 and 1909. Of these 4, none of them are still alive today. The most famous deceased philosophers include Adolf von Harnack, Hermann von Keyserling, and Hendrik Adamson.
Deceased Philosophers
Go to all Rankings
Adolf von Harnack
1851 - 1930
HPI: 60.09
Hermann von Keyserling
1880 - 1946
HPI: 54.76
Hendrik Adamson
1891 - 1946
HPI: 46.65
Uku Masing
1909 - 1985
HPI: 46.53
Which Philosophers were alive at the same time? This visualization shows the lifespans of the 4 most globally memorable Philosophers since 1700.
