George Berkeley

Born in Kilkenny, Ireland, George Berkeley (1685-1753) was educated at Oxford, spent several years in Italy and America, and served for 18 years as the Anglican Bishop of Cloyne, Ireland. [Read more]

Thomas Hobbes

Although he was skilled at both Latin and Greek at age 15, as a philosopher Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) was a late bloomer. He was 40 when he read Euclid’s Elements and turned his attention to philosophy. Hobbes was 63 when he published his greatest work (Leviathan), and 88 when he translated the Iliad into English.  [Read more]

Pierre Flourens

French physiologist Pierre Flourens was a pioneer in the use of anesthesia. He showed that chloroform could be very effectively used on animals and people. He also is known for his studies of bone formation. [Read more]

Marshall Hall

The Scottish physician, Marshall Hall, differentiated between reflexes and learned behavior. He showed that voluntary, conscious movements were controlled by the higher brain stem and that involuntary, unconscious movements were controlled by the lower brain stem.

Thomas Aquinas

Thomas Aquinas was born near Naples, Italy. Although nicknamed as a child as “Dumb Ox” (for his large size and slow demeanor), Aquinas is the greatest theologian-philosopher of the Roman Catholic church and the patron saint of their parochial schools. He is best known for synthesizing Greek philosophy with Christian, Islamic and Jewish beliefs. [Read more]

Pierre Gassendi

Priest, philosopher and amateur astronomer, Pierre Gassendi (1592-1655) revitalized Epicureanism and combined it with Catholic doctrine. [Read more]

Mary Calkins

Noted for her contributions to experimental psychology, personality theory and philosophy, Mary Calkins (1863-1930) strove to reconcile structural and functional psychology. [Read more]

Alfred Binet

Alfred Binet (1857-1911) is best known for his development of the first widely used test of intelligence. [Read more]

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