PHILOSOPHER

Alan Watts

1915 - 1973

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Alan Wilson Watts (6 January 1915 – 16 November 1973) was a British and American writer, speaker, and self-styled "philosophical entertainer", known for interpreting and popularising Buddhist, Taoist, and Hindu philosophy for a Western audience. Watts gained a following while working as a volunteer programmer at the KPFA radio station in Berkeley, California. He wrote more than 25 books and articles on religion and philosophy, introducing the Beat Generation and the emerging counterculture to The Way of Zen (1957), one of the first best selling books on Buddhism. Read more on Wikipedia

Since 2007, the English Wikipedia page of Alan Watts has received more than 9,804,176 page views. His biography is available in 41 different languages on Wikipedia (up from 38 in 2019). Alan Watts is the 566th most popular philosopher (down from 446th in 2019), the 1,157th most popular biography from United Kingdom (down from 932nd in 2019) and the 33rd most popular British Philosopher.

Alan Watts is most famous for his work in the field of comparative religion. He was a philosopher and writer who studied Eastern and Western religions, mysticism, and the nature of consciousness.

Memorability Metrics

  • 9.8M

    Page Views (PV)

  • 64.25

    Historical Popularity Index (HPI)

  • 41

    Languages Editions (L)

  • 2.80

    Effective Languages (L*)

  • 4.93

    Coefficient of Variation (CV)

Among PHILOSOPHERS

Among philosophers, Alan Watts ranks 566 out of 1,267. Before him are John Austin, Liu Bowen, Tom Regan, Daisaku Ikeda, Zoilus, and Bion of Borysthenes. After him are Bernardino Telesio, Zaleucus, Arthur Danto, Usman dan Fodio, Gersonides, and Zou Yan.

Most Popular Philosophers in Wikipedia

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Contemporaries

Among people born in 1915, Alan Watts ranks 62. Before him are Robert, Archduke of Austria-Este, Branko Ćopić, Santiago Carrillo, Henry Taube, Abba Eban, and Gyula Zsengellér. After him are W. Arthur Lewis, Joseph P. Kennedy Jr., Konstantin Simonov, Earl Wilbur Sutherland Jr., Geraldine of Albania, and Tadeusz Kantor. Among people deceased in 1973, Alan Watts ranks 69. Before him are Edward Steichen, E. E. Evans-Pritchard, Sessue Hayakawa, Robert Smithson, Soong Ai-ling, and Katina Paxinou. After him are José Villalonga, Yaakov Dori, Robert Ryan, Betty Grable, Mikhail Kalatozov, and Mary Wigman.

Others Born in 1915

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Others Deceased in 1973

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In United Kingdom

Among people born in United Kingdom, Alan Watts ranks 1,157 out of 8,785. Before him are Keira Knightley (1985), Henry Campbell-Bannerman (1836), Oldfield Thomas (1858), Prince William, Duke of Gloucester (1689), Steven Gerrard (1980), and Daniel Radcliffe (1989). After him are Robert Recorde (1512), Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset (1506), Frances Fisher (1952), Robert Fludd (1574), Prince Edward, Duke of Kent (1935), and Bernard Lee (1908).

Others born in United Kingdom

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Among PHILOSOPHERS In United Kingdom

Among philosophers born in United Kingdom, Alan Watts ranks 33. Before him are Alasdair MacIntyre (1929), A. J. Ayer (1910), Paul Grice (1913), Roger Scruton (1944), Harriet Taylor Mill (1807), and John Austin (1790). After him are Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle-upon-Tyne (1623), Thomas Reid (1710), R. G. Collingwood (1889), Alexander of Hales (1175), David Hartley (1705), and Olaf Stapledon (1886).

British born Philosophers

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