I love Slavoj Zizek, famous Slovenian philosopher.
I don't always agree with him on all counts but I don't agree with anyone 100% of the time.

Today, it's going to be C. Wright Mills. (For the Power Elite - 1956)

Russell all the way - his mathematics, philosophy and writing were all first-rate. He was also a liberal, anti-war, humanitarian, vocally supported gay rights when homosexuality was still illegal, and a socialist.

Finally, his response to British Union of Fascists founder Oswald Mosley after Mosley tried to engage him in a debate on fascism was absolutely wonderful...

"Dear Sir Oswald,

Thank you for your letter and for your enclosures. I have given some thought to our recent correspondence. It is always difficult to decide on how to respond to people whose ethos is so alien and, in fact, repellent to one’s own. It is not that I take exception to the general points made by you but that every ounce of my energy has been devoted to an active opposition to cruel bigotry, compulsive violence, and the sadistic persecution which has characterised the philosophy and practice of fascism.

I feel obliged to say that the emotional universes we inhabit are so distinct, and in deepest ways opposed, that nothing fruitful or sincere could ever emerge from association between us.

I should like you to understand the intensity of this conviction on my part. It is not out of any attempt to be rude that I say this but because of all that I value in human experience and human achievement.

Yours sincerely,

Bertrand Russell"

Existentialism is a critical philosophy. To sum it up- If you don't believe that you were created for some sort of purpose, then what is the meaning of your life, why are you here, what's the point? This seems rather pessimistic on the surface but really it gives you the freedom to decide the meaning of your life for yourself. So to practice existentialism, you must do some soul searching and discover what brings meaning to your existence. Whether it be altruism, politics, teaching, farming, surfing... whatever gives your life purpose engage in it with passion so that on your death bed, you can take comfort in the thought that you did the most with the time that was allotted to you.

The underrated philosopher Ron White who coined the phrase "You can't fix stupid". Lol.

I've discovered the Ted Talks.

I often say that Bugs Bunny is my favorite philosopher. He once said; "If at first you don't succeed, get smarter." Seriously? Spinoza pretty will states my philosophy.

I have the Tao Te Ching translated by Gia Fu-Feng and pictures by Jane English, copyright 1972. I love this edition.

I find Taoism very helpful for daily living. I also like existentialism in that I think we are all responsible for determining meaning for our lives. I like the teachings of the Stoics which is kind of the old version of cognitive behavioral therapy.

In terms of strict western philosophy, Aristotle is the king. It's amazing how really very modern he is. Aristotle asked all the right questions. I'm very fond of Hinduism. I know Hinduism is a religion but there is a great deal of very important questions the Hindus think of which even an atheist can appreciate.The Hindu scripture Mahabharata really is the book everybody thinks the Bible is supposed to be. I am also a big fan of Sufism. Everone thinks Sufism is strictly Islamic, it is not. There is a great deal of Sufism which is universal and anyone can appreciate its depth of understanding.

That is an interesting question and there are several or more that I like but I will only mention two of them and they are Voltaire and Bertrand Russell...

I enjoy learning about all traditions more than I like being a slave to any of them. Wisdom is where you find it.

Sorry but buddhism is misogynist like the rest of religions - glad "not to be born a woman" and many more rules for female monks than male. Glad if it helped you, but be careful.

Many actually, I like the writing of Gibran, enjoy a lot of comments by Socrates, but the one that fits best with me is Francis Bacon. I like the clear definitions, the scientific approach and most of all, the lack of and avoidance of any contradictions.

The Socratic method if that counts as a philosophy (hence the name). Also big on stoicism. I'm not one to grab a whole idea and like it all at once though. For example, stoicism talks about temperance. In many ways I agree but that can sacrifice passion. My most core philosophy probably is too simple to have a name but put plainly is there are no binaries in the world. No good vs evil. No absolute rights vs absolute wrongs. I try to keep that in mind even in politics. Both parties can have relevant points. One of our biggest issues is learning to compromise.