The Charms of Philosophers

Abstract

In these considerations, I refer to philosophers whose achievements have charmed many generations of people seeking answers to philosophical questions. Such philosophers include Plato, Descartes, and Voltaire. However, they were also criticized by those who not only did not succumb to their charm, but also tried to demonstrate the negative aspects of their views and their infatuation with them. In these considerations, I do not act as an uncritical defender of any of these philosophers. The problem is that succumbing to the charms of some philosophers had and still has its positives, while succumbing to the charms of others has serious negatives. I find the former in Plato and Descartes. On the other hand, the latter in Voltaire.