World thinkers 2014: The results

Prospect asked readers to select their favourites from a list of the world’s leading thinkers. The results are in.

by Serena Kutchinsky / April 23, 2014 / Leave a comment

Left to right: Pope Francis, Arundhati Roy, Amartya Sen, Raghuram Rajan, Mao Yushi. © Mike Theiler/Reuters/Corbis, © Danish Siddiqui/Reuters/Corbis, © David Pearson/Rex, © AGF s.r.l./Rex

With nearly 7,000 votes cast, the results of Prospect’s world thinkers 2014 poll are in. Voters came to the Prospect website in large numbers through Twitter and Facebook, and from many countries around the world.

Running a poll like this is not a science, of course; one should be wary of drawing conclusions from the data especially given that intense media interest in India clearly had some influence on the outcome. Nevertheless, the presence in the top 10 of five thinkers—Amartya Sen, Raghuram Rajan, Arundhati Roy, Mao Yushi and Kaushik Basu—whose work focuses in different ways on the challenges of economic development is surely significant. The future of China’s distinctive combination of political authoritarianism and breakneck economic expansion, for example, or the struggles of India to share its newly acquired wealth as widely as possible are issues that should concern those of us who live in the developed world—as well as the billions who are experiencing the growing pains of development at first hand.

The after-effects of the financial crisis on what used to be called the “first world” is felt in the thinking of two of the new entrants in the top 10: Pope Francis, who has regularly criticised the capitalist system, and Ha-Joon Chang, the Cambridge economist who chastises his colleagues for their obsession with abstract mathematical models and has tried instead to revive the older tradition of political economy.

Chang has an ally in the shape of Thomas Piketty, the French economist whose book Capital in the Twenty-First Century has been an unlikely bestseller. Piketty’s rise up our rankings to 27th—he came near the bottom of last year’s poll—is also a reminder of how quickly intellectual fashion can change.

One other notable change this year is the presence of two women—Arundhati Roy and Mary Beard—in the top 10. Last year there were none.

Many thanks to all those who voted. Do let us know what you make of the results in the comments or on Twitter at @Prospect_UK.

Download our World Thinkers e-book—free for subscribers

1 Amartya Sen

The Indian economist and philosopher turned 80 last year, but…

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Comments

Joyce
April 24, 2014 at 01:55
Looking at the top three results, it would seem national pride by the second most populous country is the issue rather than "world thinkers"...the whole exercise is meaningless and should not be taken seriously. Reminds me of the Eurovison Song Contest rather than the Nobel Academy.
SHASHANK VASHIST
April 24, 2014 at 09:02
PROUD OF DR. RAGHURAM RAJAN. AND PROUD TO BE AN INDIAN.
Goirick
April 24, 2014 at 11:48
@joyce I agree somewhat to what you have to say. Although Arundhati Roy is one of the most hated writers/thinkers in India because of her critic of overt nationalism in the country and its policy. Sen too, has been criticised recently because of his anti Right wing positions. I like both of them. Though I think he deserves a place in there. Further, I seriously would have taken the poll seriously if there was Noam Chomsky, Joseph Stiglitz, Paul Krugman,and a few others in that list. Goirick India
Goirick
April 24, 2014 at 11:50
Your comment is awaiting moderation. @joyce I agree somewhat to what you have to say. Although Arundhati Roy is one of the most hated writers/thinkers in India because of her critic of overt nationalism in the country and its policy. Sen too, has been criticised recently because of his anti Right wing positions. I like both of them. Though I think Sen deserves a place in there. Further, I would have taken the poll seriously, if there was Noam Chomsky, Joseph Stiglitz, Paul Krugman,and a few others in that list. Goirick India
SHASHANK VASHIST
April 24, 2014 at 13:03
how can u say all dat without knwinh top 3 and there abilities and there past perrformance.it doesnt all abt population, it was real thinking.
K.S.Sundaram
April 24, 2014 at 16:08
Arundati Roy can't be by any stretch of imagination a thinker. She is a commentator of contemporary politics and a vociferous critic of global capitalism (WTO directed)
Ram Rajya
April 25, 2014 at 08:16
Another commenter here has posited that the top-3 finish seems to be the result of this being a popularity contest of sorts. It definitely is, but not exactly how you'd imagine. For one, two of these top three--Sen and Roy--are among the most despised Indians today. They may be darling of the secular-liberal ancien regime, but the Indian people loath them. If indeed the Indian people had a say in this poll, exactly one man would occupy all 50 spots--Narendra Modi, or NarMod as he is affectionately known. NarMod is known as one of the great modern Indian thinkers and that is why he is likely to be elected its President in a month. While the likes of Sen write book after unreadable book on ending poverty (as if even one person in the history of humanity has ever come out of poverty because a book was written...), NarMod has *practically* effected change, and that too with but four words: "Minimum government, maximum governance." This revolutionary mantra has transformed GUJARAT province, which now boasts of Singapore-like infrastructure and social indicators. Further, NarMod has also greatly improved the law and order by getting a formerly troublesome community to behave itself. That is his greatest achievement.
Aritra Mukherjee
April 25, 2014 at 15:56
Well a result solely based on poll makes no sense neither solely based on jury, Dr. Sen is among the few economists on the planet who have scientifically analysed and proposed solutions towards sustainable economy, but his 1st position is definitely the result of Indian mass support irrespective of his theories. Actually this position is deserved by many, for Dr. Sen, luck was on his side that he is from India. About Dr. Rajan same thing applies, but I have really no idea how Arundhuti Roy is ranked 3rd! And I'd like to add one more thing w.r.t. the first comment: when people from the the US or EU won prizes where Indians and Chinese were not even considered worthy of nomination, it was like father giving off medal to his son. But hey, the family has expanded now, get ready to embrace the new members!
tsao huan
April 26, 2014 at 08:51
Mao Yushi is good.
kelehot
April 26, 2014 at 09:05
Mao yushi,I support you. You are real economist.
Tathagata Ghosh
April 27, 2014 at 16:07
I strongly appreciate Prospect for selecting Amartya Sen and Arundhuti Roy
Saptarshi Chatterjee
April 28, 2014 at 13:16
Next Year if you nominate Sam Pitroda, Narendra Modi and Arvind Kejriwal they will be again in top 10. its clear online population of Indian origins and Bengali origins are increasing and so you can see 4 Indians in top 10 and 3 Bengalis in top 22. Sam Pitroda is responsible of increasing number of NETizens from India -- so I recommend his name ()not on any merit - only as catalyst to this result) The other two are very popular among Netizens - you will find them in in top alike they were in Times List of most influential people.
Ramesh Raghuvanshi
April 28, 2014 at 17:49
My greatest objection to your so called competition is you are playing cheap play,this is a shallow and waste of time entertainment..What you want to,achieve form this kind of nonsense selection?How can you expect intelligence test of common readers who can select thoughtfully world thinkers?Can reader read all listed thinkers? I myself know one or two thinkers `s thought and completely ignorant about others,how you expect from me select world thinker?Why most western media play every year some ritual?Can you explain your real intention of placing this kind of shallow competition?
Tathagata Ghosh
April 28, 2014 at 17:57
Bengali intellectual Amartya Sen is not only the Economist, he is one among the greatest philosophers world has ever produced. The Idea of Justice, The Argumentative Indian are two masterpieces apart from his Noble winning work on Economics. Modern economics does not confine it to capitalist model study or market dynamics. Sen's recent research work on Africa has drawn attention of the world.
Tathagata Ghosh
April 29, 2014 at 14:02
As far I know Arundhuti Roy, d/o Rajib Roy, is also a bengali origin. So there are 4 bengali in the list.
Sanjay Sharan
May 1, 2014 at 06:38
India needs doers not thinkers.. I think there is a glut of thinkers and scarcity of doers to actually remove poverty and malnutrition and turn around the other social indicators.
xrlf
May 21, 2014 at 12:37
A guy like Mao Yushi was selected as a world-level thinker. That is really funny! In China he is nothing but to publish some ridiculous words often and make people laugh. If you are a serious magzine, please be carefully. Don't try to irritate most Chinese people.
Jones Paul
December 31, 2014 at 21:35
People would take this poll more seriously if there weren't a dozens Indians suddenly one year, replacing a dozen Arabs who suddenly appeared and disappeared another year, replacing a bunch of Western thinkers etc etc. You should just poll your subscribers or faculty members, or notables mentioned in print, not just any random people on twitter.