January 19

Born in Besançon in 1809, Pierre-Joseph Proudhon began his career as a printer and social critic. In 1840 he published 'What Is Property?' in which he argued against capitalist property norms and coined the phrase 'Property is theft!'. Proudhon developed the concept of mutualism, advocating cooperative economic arrangements without centralized authority. He served briefly in the French National Assembly and influenced debates on social justice and governance. His writings laid the intellectual groundwork for later anarchist and libertarian movements throughout Europe.

Born in 1873, Liang Qichao emerged as a leading advocate for modernization and constitutional monarchy in China. He studied abroad in Japan and founded influential journals that introduced Western political ideas to Chinese readers. Liang's writings and speeches inspired reform movements and challenged the Qing dynasty's traditional structures. After the failure of the Hundred Days' Reform, he went into exile but continued to mentor young intellectuals and study social sciences. His philosophical works explored nationalism, democracy, and cultural renewal, shaping China's intellectual landscape. Liang returned to China after the fall of the Qing dynasty and served in government before focusing on scholarship. He died in 1929, leaving a rich legacy as a pioneer of Chinese modern thought.

Frank P. Ramsey was born in Cambridge in 1903 and displayed extraordinary intellectual abilities from a young age. At Trinity College, Cambridge, he contributed groundbreaking work to mathematical logic, influencing the development of modern set theory. His 1927 essay on probability laid the groundwork for subjective probability theory and decision making. In economics, Ramsey introduced optimal taxation theory, now known as the Ramsey problem, which remains central in public finance. He also made important contributions to philosophy, particularly on truth and belief in his early work. Tragically, Ramsey's career was cut short by his death from liver disease in 1930 at the age of 26. Despite his brief life, his interdisciplinary achievements continue to shape multiple fields.