Was Thomas Aquinas the greatest philosopher of all time?

"Perfection of moral virtue does not wholly take away the passions, but regulates them."

It depends what philosopher do you agree with. My favourite philosophers are Descartes and the father of pure rationalism: Parmenides.

A horse walks into a bar. The bartender asks the horse if it's an alcoholic considering all the bars he frequents, to which the horse replies "I don't think I am!" POOF! The horse disappears.

This is the point in time when all the philosophy students in the audience begin to giggle, as they are familiar with the philosophical proposition of Cogito ergo sum, or I think, therefore, I am.

But to explain the concept aforehand would be putting Descartes before the horse.

Haha, that's right. Cogito, ergo sum!

Aristotle was also Aquinas' favourite. Who he based most of his writing on.

People don't like philosophy all that much, because it is such an abstract ans complex arena that involves pure rationalism. Like for example Pantheist Spinoza was said to have an IQ of 167, but you know that guy was nuts. Like Cubronzo who said that 2 + 2 = 5. Fairly smart compared to your average Joe, but he got stuck in silly mind games and rejected logic entirely. But if you really, think about it, REALLY, you find it's not all word-games and silly talk, there are mathematical elements in both Philosophy and Meta Physics......! How do you know the external world exists, unless you take the rational, non-scientific approach to cognition and perception?

There is no empirical evidence that the external world exists; there is just the mind an perception, so... You can't separate the self from the universe just cause it seems "like the rational approach" cause everything you experience is internalized. The mind is the most powerful tool you can wield.

It may be a simulation, and maybe it is impossible to leave from it, so, keep your suspected money safe.