I would say Sigmund Freud, because he was essentially the father of psychology, and a world renown psychiatrist during a time when psychology was a brand new part of medical science, although I am more of a B.F.Skinner and Carl Jung follower Freud set the tone for science to be studied in this field.

Socrates started it all through his intellect and reasoning.

Thank you Michael.

Lord Buddha (Gautam Buddha).

He first advised to live with honesty, harmony and peace.

Thank you Shibabrata For your suggestion. A great choice,

Scholarship is indeed very broad. Taking Google's definition of: "a specialist in a particular branch of study", the list would obviously be endless. For this broad of a question, perhaps it is more appropriate to use Google's archaic definition of: "a person who is highly educated or has an aptitude for study."

That being said, the list could still be endless but I'll put in a vote for Alexander the Great. His worldly / military success has perhaps overshadowed his brilliance in embracing culture and promoting scholarship, the foundation of Alexandria in Egypt being a prime example of this. A (the?) hotbed of science at the time, many aspects of our daily life today still feel the influence created therein.

Socrates

Thanks

Did Socrates truly begin it all? Alligned but not allied with Sophists, Socrates did not practise for money, but nevertheless what exactly did he practise? He testified to a daemon on whose behalf he functioned-so perhaps his practice had a religious not a rationalist basis? He believed that he brought wisdom out of others by his methods, but his practice was it seems directional, therefore he held that he, or his daimon, was really the fount of wisdom. Did he ever truly separate subject and object in his quest for knowledge?

He preached (best word really) against democracy and several of his disciples worked against democracy, advocating instead elitism. Although it has been said he focused on the mind, with the evidence we have and with better results, so did Buddha. Unlike Buddha, isn't there something of the trickster in Socrates?

Very interesting perspective Stanley!

Dear colleagues, the question is difficult indeed, but I would suggest Leibniz, for he is reckoned to be the last scholar who kept pace with the latest achievements in ALL branches of science simultaneously. After him that became impossible.

Dear Kirill,

Thank you for your choice. He is certainly an amazing scholar and his develoment of the foundation of calculus will remain as one of the greatest achievements of all time.

Amir

Imams Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them)

They are the greatest scientists in the history of mankind

Regards

What about Mary Wollstonecraft, a brilliant individual who raised and analysed the position of women in antiquated societies, or much further back Enheduanna, possibly Sargon's daughter or grand daughter, who was the first known poet and, in her time, the first known scholar?

Thank you Mr. Kauffman.

Thank you Colton.

Thank you Dickson.

Thank you Ali.

Thanks again Stanley for your input.

Hypatia was a female philosopher in Alexandria. A marvel of her age and a genuine inheritor of the ancient Greek philosophers. She was head of the city's Neoplatonic school, teaching philosophy and astronomy. In addition, she wrote works on mathematics. For reasons of both politics and religious intolerance, Cyril, the Bishop of Alexandria set a mob of Christian monks on her who tore her apart.

Over 60 at the time of her death, her skin was scraped from off her bones.

The poem with this was sent to me by a student.

They attacked her in mid exploration Cutting away her golden thoughts As they cut away her flesh, destroying A mind that they couldn’t destroy in Debate, a sparkling old woman Whose thoughts were spun from steel.

The screaming mob desecrated her tiny form Dragging it into the dust, through the rubbish And shit. Tearing off her clothes The Parabalani exposed her to celestial winds crossing The arora, rubbing Spoilt Alexandrian soil into her unexplored vagina.   She did not die as a philosopher, calculating and Learning, but, torn apart, the old woman Screamed out for her father, Terrified, in sacrificial pain so much worse Than beheadings and crucifixion. Her modesty, Kept for 60 years, mutilated by a 1000 killers in a single Minute.

Her head bounced in the forum, Her arms thrown to the 4 corners, Her soul stamped into the gutter, As the new religion cried out for tolerance. In a morning thinking became forbidden Books burnt, laughs ignored and fires built for heretics.

Very beautiful and eloquent! Thank you my friend Stanley.

Hermann von Helmholtz: made important discoveries in Anatomy (ossicles related to the ear), Physiology, Physics and medicine (the ophthalmoscope)

.

Thank you Jean-Paul for your input.

Stanley, Thank you for bringing females into the picture. Why not the first queen in the history of mankind from 2450 BC? A Sumerian, of course!

Moi. ;-)

Seriously, though it would be difficult to answer, as there must be parameters that define greatness. Or even scholarship for that matter.

Thinkers and philosophers are not necessarily scholars. A schlar gathers the known information of the times, analyses and then comes up with a working synthesis that is a sum greater than the initial parts. How many people fit that description and who had the most impact thereafter.

Aristotle?

Thank you Francis Steven Mickus.

By the way, it would be wise not to confuse first and best...

Agree!

The first can never be replaced while the best and the greatest can end up in second place! However, someone can also be the first and best.

Thanks Ali. I missed your reply!

Ibn Sina is better known in Europe by the Latinized name “Avicenna.”

Thanks Haitham. Amir

It has to be a scholar who wrote extensively, researched extensively and whose output changed mankind the most.

My shortlist would include Charles Darwin, Issac Newton