Name the top 3 greatest men of culture and science and great thinkers that your nation has produced that you adore. They can be alive or dead for 100 years or more. It doesn't matter. But who are of your nation. So don't go about saying Immanuel Kant if you're not German or Voltaire if you're not French. So generally, people who you find admiration for.
If you want, you can also start a top 3 greatest men of all time, from all nations and people, that you admire the most.
So, 3 people from my nation (
Romania).
1. Nicolae Iorga. Romanian scholar, man of culture, literature, science and for a brief time, an unsuccessful politician in the interbellic period in Romania. I admire him a lot for the fact that he became one of the most notable figures in Romania in countless areas despite coming from a very poor and disadvantaged background. Deceased father early in life, mother had to keep moving and so on and so forth. As far as intelligence goes, he was without a doubt one of the most intelligent men who ever lived, fluent in about 12 languages.
2. Mircea Eliade. Romanian writer and adventurist, traveled in many places in the world, most notably India, was part of the Rotary club and has produced some of the best romanian literature ever. He is also a man of culture and has written what is considered one of the most comprehensive writings about religions in the world, especially about the earliest ones that start off in the far east.
Amazon.com: Mircea Eliade on Theory and History of Religion
These are some of his writings that have been translated into English.
3. Mihai Eminescu. Romanian poet, in fact, he is considered the greatest Romanian poet and the last Romantic (poets who aspired to Romanticism influence). I can't say much more because I can't do justice in expressing how deep and often amazing his poems are. One may say that his writings reflect the spirit of what it means to be Romanian. The tragedy is that the many Romanians don't seem to be Romanian, if we are to adhere to this definition, only in name.
On international scale, the top 3 people i admire the most are:
1.
Nicola Tesla... we wouldn't have modern society without his discoveries and inventions. Notably, alternative current.
2.
Voltaire and
Jean Jacques Rousseau. I have to put them both together because without them, we wouldn't have the Enlightenment and we have to thank them for bringing into our world the theory of what it means to be a citizen of a country as well as public education. Something we should pay more attention to this day... sadly, his teachings are lost on the modern person.
3.
Johann Sebastian Bach. Because his music is divine. I mean, by God, he is the greatest composer that the world has ever seen. His music is divine. If we do have a soul, I do believe that when we die and our soul will rise to heaven, the songs the angels sing must be his.
