According to C.D. Broad, who are the greatest 20th century philosophers

ChatGPT said:

C.D. Broad (Charlie Dunbar Broad), a prominent British philosopher in the early to mid-20th century, did not provide a single definitive list of the “greatest 20th century philosophers,” but in his writings and lectures, he made remarks about philosophers he considered especially influential or impressive.

In particular, in his 1950 essay “My Own Philosophical Development” (from The Philosophy of C.D. Broad, part of the Library of Living Philosophers series), he mentions several contemporaries and earlier figures who shaped 20th-century philosophy or his own thought.

Philosophers Broad Praised or Considered Great:

Based on his writings and comments, here are some philosophers C.D. Broad held in high regard:

1. Bertrand Russell – Broad had great respect for Russell’s work in logic, epistemology, and philosophy of mathematics.
2. G.E. Moore – Broad was a follower and admirer of Moore, especially Moore’s emphasis on common sense and rigorous analysis.
3. Ludwig Wittgenstein – Though he didn’t always agree with Wittgenstein, Broad recognized his profound influence on analytic philosophy.
4. J.M.E. McTaggart – McTaggart was Broad’s mentor at Cambridge and deeply influenced his metaphysical views.
5. A.N. Whitehead – Recognized for his work with Russell and metaphysical contributions.
6. Alfred J. Ayer – Although younger, Ayer’s logical positivism became significant in the mid-20th century; Broad engaged critically with it.
7. Immanuel Kant – While not a 20th-century philosopher, Kant’s influence on 20th-century thought, especially Broad’s own, was profound. Broad even wrote a major commentary on Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason.

General Characteristics of Philosophers He Admired:

Broad valued clarity, logical rigor, and a systematic approach to philosophical problems. He was somewhat skeptical of excessively speculative or opaque styles, which sometimes led to tensions with the emerging existentialist and phenomenological traditions (e.g., Sartre, Heidegger), which he did not much engage with or praise.

Summary:

Broad did not give a formal top 10 or top 20 list, but from his writings, we can infer that he would likely consider Russell, Moore, Wittgenstein, and McTaggart as among the greatest and most influential philosophers of the early 20th century—particularly within the analytic tradition, which he was part of.