Philosophers from United Kingdom

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary British Philosophers of all time. This list of famous British Philosophers is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography's online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of British Philosophers.

1. #1

   

   Francis Bacon

   1561 - 1626

   HPI 90.32116 langs

   Francis Bacon was a philosopher and scientist who is most famous for his work Novum Organum, which was published in 1620. Bacon's work was...Read moreShow less

   Francis Bacon was a philosopher and scientist who is most famous for his work Novum Organum, which was published in 1620. Bacon's work was an attempt to reform the way that knowledge is gained and used.

2. #2

   

   John Locke

   1632 - 1704

   HPI 87.94147 langs

   John Locke is most famous for his philosophy of empiricism, which states that all knowledge comes from experience.

3. #3

   

   Thomas Hobbes

   1588 - 1679

   HPI 85.75108 langs

   Thomas Hobbes is most famous for his political philosophy, which is a form of social contract theory. Hobbes believed that the natural state...Read moreShow less

   Thomas Hobbes is most famous for his political philosophy, which is a form of social contract theory. Hobbes believed that the natural state of humanity is one of war, and that without a strong government to enforce the peace, life would be "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short."

4. #4

   

   David Hume

   1711 - 1776

   HPI 83.28108 langs

   David Hume is most famous for his skepticism and empiricism.

5. #5

   

   Thomas More

   1478 - 1535

   HPI 81.5297 langs

   Thomas More was an English lawyer, social philosopher, author, and statesman. He was Lord Chancellor from 1529 to 1532 and is best known for...Read moreShow less

   Thomas More was an English lawyer, social philosopher, author, and statesman. He was Lord Chancellor from 1529 to 1532 and is best known for his influential work Utopia.

6. #6

   

   Herbert Spencer

   1820 - 1903

   HPI 80.2579 langs

   Herbert Spencer is most famous for his theory of evolution.

7. #7

   

   Roger Bacon

   1220 - 1292

   HPI 78.5571 langs

   Roger Bacon is most famous for his work on optics and the scientific method.

8. #8

   

   Jeremy Bentham

   1748 - 1832

   HPI 78.3677 langs

   Jeremy Bentham is most famous for his theory of utilitarianism, which is the idea that the moral worth of an action is based on its...Read moreShow less

   Jeremy Bentham is most famous for his theory of utilitarianism, which is the idea that the moral worth of an action is based on its usefulness in increasing pleasure and decreasing pain.

9. #9

   

   William of Ockham

   1285 - 1347

   HPI 77.9978 langs

   William of Ockham is most famous for his principle of parsimony, also known as Occam's Razor. This principle states that the simplest...Read moreShow less

   William of Ockham is most famous for his principle of parsimony, also known as Occam's Razor. This principle states that the simplest explanation is usually the best one.

10. #10

    

    Joseph Priestley

    1733 - 1804

    HPI 76.9078 langs

    Joseph Priestley is most famous for his discovery of oxygen.