7 Philosopher-Kings that Changed History

A few rulers throughout history may be candidates for the title philosopher-king. These leaders have either enlightened those around them with their own wisdom or have promoted education and learning broadly throughout their realms. The list is ordered chronologically so we can explore important developments in education as they unfolded. Let’s take a look at some of the greatest philosopher-kings to have graced the history books.
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RECOMMENDED BOOKS
How to Read a Book, Mortimer Adler and Charles van Doren: amzn.to/3NOLCrm
How to Read and Why, Harold Bloom: amzn.to/3J69V0y
The Well-Educated Mind, Susan Wise Bauer: amzn.to/3LB5Djq
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[@shawnbrewer7]

Excellent video! Glad to see Alfred the Great here.

[@davidannderson9796]

Great video! Thought I would add a few philosopher-kings: Cyrus the Great of the Persian Empire Emperor Ashoka of India Emperor Kanishka of India and the Kushans
The Prophet Muhammed, who was a king and the founder of the Arab Empire that went on to create the Golden Age of Baghdad His successors the Caliphs Abu Bakr and Omar
Emperor Akbar of India and the Mughals
The three legendary philosopher-King Emperors who presided over the Golden Age of the Qing Dynasty in China: The Kangxi Emperor his son the Yongzheng Emperor his grandson the Qianlong Emperor
At least a few of the American Founding Fathers, such as Thomas Jefferson
And similarly, at least a couple of the founding fathers of modern India, such as Gandhi (though Gandhi himself never ruled as President or Prime Minister)
These last are recent figures, so we know them in great detail, and know their flawed, human side; suffice it to say, Solomon and Emperor Ashoka had their human side too!
(The American Founding Fathers also had a few of the weaknesses of their society, weaknesses that they did not yet know how to fix, including one that was waiting for a last American Founding Father, Abraham Lincoln, but this should not prevent them from being considered philosopher-kings, for they were pioneers, founders of a new civilization, pioneers in a hard, rough, turbulent process of building up a new civilization! Rather like Charlemagne and his predecessors Pepin I and Charles Martel!)

[@CommonSwindler]

I'm afraid this video incomplete since it is missing a TITAN. I don't know in what world Frederick II Hohenstaufen, the "Stupor Mundi", doesn't merit inclusion but it certainly isn't the real one. Frederick II was arguably the most brilliant individual ever to wear a crown: a free-thinking polymath and polyglot, insightful scientist, mathematician, musician, visionary statesman, proto-enlightened despot, and a lawgiver of sheer genius.

[@ted1045]

Great video.

[@ThinkingWest]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@gigibottenfield6019]

Excellent!

[@ThinkingWest]

Glad you liked it!

[@adambottenfield]

very informative. thank you

[@doreekaplan2589]

Not people "that" as they are not things. Video is about excelling in intelligence. People "who" applies.