Marcus Tullius Cicero

Marcus Tullius Cicero was a Roman philosopher, political theorist, statesman, lawyer, orator, consul and constitutionalist. He came from a wealthy municipal family of the equestrian order, and is widely considered one of Rome's greatest orators and prose stylist. He was born on January 3, 106 BC – December 7, 43 BC in Arpinum, a hill town 100 kilometers (62 mi) southeast of Rome, sometimes anglicized as Tully.

Cicero's cognomen, or personal surname, comes from the Latin for chickpea, cicer. Plutarch explains that the name was originally given to one of Cicero's ancestors who had a cleft in the tip of his nose resembling a chickpea. However, it is more likely that Cicero's ancestors prospered through the cultivation and sale of chickpeas. Romans often chose down-to-earth personal surnames: the famous family names of Fabius, Lentulus, and Piso come from the Latin names of beans, lentils, and peas. Plutarch writes that Cicero was urged to change this deprecatory name when he entered politics, but refused, saying that he would make Cicero more glorious than Scaurus ("Swollen-ankled") and Catulus ("Puppy")

According to Michael Grant, "the influence of Cicero upon the history of European literature and ideas greatly exceeds that of any other prose writer in any language. Cicero introduced the Romans to the chief schools of Greek philosophy and created a Latin philosophical vocabulary (with neologisms such as humanitas, qualitas, quantitas, and essentia) distinguishing himself as a linguist, translator, and philosopher. Read More

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Plato Profile And Biography

Place and year of birth Plato real not known with certainty. Some say Plato born in Athens, there also said he was born on the island of Aegina. Likewise, the year of his birth, some say he was born 428 BC, there also said he was born 427 BC. What is certain is Plato born into an Athenian aristocrat family hereditary to have a very important role in political life in Athens.
 

His father was named Ariston, a royal descendant of King Kodrus, the last king of Athens who lived around 1068 BC which was much admired by his people because of the skill and wisdom ruled Athens.

His mother named Periktione descendant of Solon, legendary figures and great Athenian statesman who lived about a hundred years earlier than Periktione.

Plato's real name is Aristokles, because the forehead and shoulders are very wide, she acquired the nickname "Plato" from his gymnastics coach. Plato in Greek comes from the noun "Platos" which means the breadth of his / its width and formed from the adjective "Platus" meaning wide. Thus the name "Plato" means "The Width".

Nickname given by her gymnastics coach was so very quickly popular and became calling everyday, and even became the official name that immortalized him through all his work.

When the plateau was a child his father died, his mother later married again with Plato's uncle named Pyrilampes. Uncle who became Plato's stepfather was a respected figure in Athens because he is a politician who is close to Pericles, Athenian leader and great statesman who died in 427 BC.

Plato was brought up and educated by Pyrilampes, Plato later died in Athens at the age of 80 years and dive of his life he never married. Plato was born when the democratic government of Athens's heyday under the leadership of Pericles who had just passed. He was born and grew to adulthood at the time war was raging Peloponnesus. He witnessed the defeat of Athens in the war Peloponnesus it in 404 BC.

The result of his writings are quite a lot and are mostly written in the form of dialogue with the style that is very beautiful and enchanting, Plato is not only famous as a great philosopher but also as a wonderful writer. All the writings of Plato are passed on to us is still quite complete and in good condition.

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Buddha ( 563 - 483 BC )

The founder of Buddhism is Prince Siddhartha Gautama (563-483 BC) as a result of dissatisfaction with the teachers' explanations of Hinduism about crimes that often befall mankind. After conducting an ascetic life and meditation for six years, Siddhartha Gautama find answers to questions, ideas which later became the basics of Buddhism (Samuel Smith, 1986:12).

While in Indonesia, Buddhism has been called a religion, but actually is not a religion of Buddhism in its original meaning because it is not found in Buddhism a doctrine of God.

In the teachings of the Tripitaka Buddhist scriptures which tell more about the life of the Prince Siddhartha Gautama commonly called Buddha.

In the case of a perfect state of purification, Buddha taught eight noble paths (The Noble Eightfold Path) :

1. The right view (the knowledge of evil things and how to avoid them)
2. Aspiration correct (the right motivation to conquer deeds a good heart)
3. Speaking proper (away from the lie, slander, gossip, and a despicable words)
4. Do the right thing (away thefts, drunk, injuring living beings and immoral in sexual)
5. Right livelihood (avoid hazardous work, slavery and military career)
6. Trying to correct (delete the evil emotions to fix bad habits)
7. Awareness of the correct (eliminating power, ambition and a sense of resentment)
8. A true reflection (reflection through Yoga)

If these teachings were studied, it will bring men into noble and perfect, when human beings tend to breach it will be miserable. Because the Buddhist philosophy believes that everything in this world overwhelmed by misery /passion, whose misery was caused by "love" towards an exaggeration.

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Ibn Khaldun (1332-1406)

Abdurrahman bin Muhammad bin Muhammad bin Khaldun al-Hadrami or Abu Zayd Abdurrahman bin Khaldun abbreviated Ibn Khaldun, was born in Tunis in 1332. He descended from a family of government officials in Spain, his father also included a scholar or thinker.
 

In self-Ibn Khaldun mixed with a very deep thinking of placing it as a scientist and practice or experience in government circles. He did not stop reviewing the science and he also take on one's lap high positions in government both in northern Africa or in Spain.
 

Ibnu Khaldun wander up to the Central Asian regions, such as Syria, Ibn Khaldun had been a Egyptian Empire officials are to be judge, and never met a Mongolian hero named Timur, Ibn Khaldun died in Egypt in the year 1406.
 

His book is the famous Muqaddimah and Al-'Ibar, Al-'Ibar book consists of 6 volumes, this book was originally written in Qal'at Ibn Salamah, a village situated between Tuniz and Fez, and finally settled in Tunis.
 

With the Muqaddimah book of Ibn Khaldun's has his name as the person who started the science of sociology, this book reflects that there are bonds of community and state and civilization in general as a growing and sink separated from the issue of whether religion within the meaning of Prophethood (Nubuwwah) come or not, because Ibn Khaldun admitted that many civilizations and countries that grow and sink without being visited by the teachings of prophets, especially prophetic. For Ibn Khaldun the community, state, and civilization does not depend on the existence of religion.

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Montesquieu Biography (1689-1755)

Montesquieu was born near Bordeaux, France in 1689, a son of a wealthy noble family. full name was Charles Louis de Secondat Baron de Montesquieu, had studied law and worked on the court.
 

In the thirties Montesquieu became known as an author and scientist, but that gives effect to the society of his day and today is his article published entitled De L'Esprit des Lois (Spirit of the Law), which he wrote after traveling around Europe, especially England, where he remained for two years.
 

De L'Esprit des Lois appeared in 1748 after he worked 14 years, this book also makes the thought of Montesquieu still be learned by today. For Montesquieu wrote it is a requirement of science, until the end of his life Montesquieu still continued to write until her eyes become damaged, Montesquieu died in 1755.
 

In Indonesia, Montesquieu is known by the teachings of Trias Politica or Division Three Powers of the Legislative powers (legislature), Executive power (running the law) and judicial power (power adjudicate).
 

This division was started by John Locke, but Locke does not raise issues that Judiciary,Aristotle also explores the existence of such functions, although he does not stress distribution. For Montesquieu the division of powers relating to the so-called independence, the division is to ensure independence.

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Karl Marx Profile And Biography

Born in 1818 in Trier (Treves), Germany, from middle class family of Jewish descent but who had embraced the Protestant religion, Karl Marx had written his name in the history of thought to have followers officially more than half of mankind.

Karl Marx studied the history, legal studies and philosophy at Born, Berlin and Jena, in Jena is Karl Marx obtained his doctorate in philosophy that is in 1841.

Karl Marx was married to a woman from a noble family, his wife is very loyal to Karl Marx during his lifetime. Year of exile in foreign countries, namely Belgium, France and finally to London, full of shortcomings and even accompanied by poverty and destitution through them with fortitude.

Most of his life, Karl Marx was living in exile. His thoughts are radical not allow Marx lived and taught in Germany, so he was forced to live abroad, first in France and Belgium, where Marx engaged in journalism. But in both countries was also the German government shows the influence of his authority so he had to go to London. More than thirty years, starting from the year 1849 Marx spent his life in London. This is where Marx produce works of magnitude, which until now still read and studied, the work of writing is Das Capital, then in exile in mainland Europe in 1848 with Friedrich Angels Marx wrote the Communist Manifesto to produce works.

Marx has a very loyal friend of Friedrich's Angels, was born in 1820 as the son of a wealthy textile businessman in Manchester. Friedrich Angels gain more teaching materials on the writings and records provided by the library museum in London.

Friedrich Angels are friends who contributed a lot in the thinking of Marx's communism, but Friedrich Angels tried to discourage him with the proposed role of Marx is very large, This is expressed in speeches and writings of Friedrich Angels. Friedrich Angels economically are a very well established and because the income from the writings of Marx, published in the newspaper does not provide for his family, Friedrich Angels are people who help fulfill Marx's family life.

In Manchester Friedrich Angels live with a woman worker of Mary Burns, the Marx family never showed displeasure, Friedrich Angels to a meeting ever took Mary Burns, with bland acclaim from Marx's wife and that greatly affect them that the relationship is about the death of Mary Burns (1863) a very touching hearts Friedrich Angels, an emotion that is not received as expected from a friend like Marx.

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