Deaths of philosophers

Wikipedia page here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deaths_of_philosophers

See also Simon Critchley’s book.

But really always think about this story I first came across in Italo Calvino’s Difficult Loves which he attributes to E.M. Cioran about some final words of Socrates.

Not Difficult Loves, sorry, Why Read the Classics?

That thing seems to get quoted a lot, perhaps it's challops at this point.

I always forget who the tortoise philosopher was - Aeschylus!

This should be a poll thread.

John Argyropoulos ftw

You're really going to choose too much watermelon over died from laughter after giving wine to his donkey and seeing it attempt to eat figs?

1994 was a tough year.

All gets a bit too depressing as the timeline approaches the 20th century.

Definitely noticing a theme in the last couple decades. And a different one in the 1940s.

didn't realise debord and deleuze were so close together that's bleak

1626 – Francis Bacon died of pneumonia, contracted while stuffing snow into a chicken as an experiment in refrigeration.

I like the ones like this which are possibly specious but sound good as legends - like, Bacon literally died for the scientific method!

behold, a snowman!

Ha, otm. Now trying to remember the thing about Pythagoras and the beans.

Pythagoras forbade his followers to eat beans supposedly for religious reasons. There are guesses about why, but nobody really knows for sure.

And if anyone objects that they are not worth all that effort, I will cite Cioran (not a classic, at least not yet, but a contemporary thinker who is only now being translated “ , Socrates was learning a melody on the flute. “What use will that be to you?”, he was asked. “At least I will learn this melody before I die.” ’

I thought this would be a poll tbh.

i don't always pedant out but the presence of Aeschylus and Sophocles on this list is really annoying

and David Foster Wallace?? gtfo

I learned about a lot of these deaths from watching the Stupid Deaths segments in Horrible Histories!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOhghrDfL6w

That wiki list is far from perfect, sorry, I was just taking the easy way out by linking it.

Were you watching Horrible Histories with nieces and nephews or something?

No, I watch it myself, whenever it's on.

1600 – Giordano Bruno was burnt by the Inquisition.
1619 – Lucilio Vanini was also burnt by the Inquisition.

Kinda sucks to be remembered as the guy who "also" got burnt

OMG

i went ahead and edited the list, i assume some dweeb will revert it shortly