Who is your all time favorite philosopher & why?

Question:

Who is your all time favorite philosopher & why?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Spinoza. I like his idea of wanting to understand rather than to criticize other's beliefs. He had an elegant solution to what he thought our world must be like (neutral monist). I like that he proposed a naturalistic ontology before its time. He seemed ahead of the curve in many ways.