Greek philosophers Upstream links Downstream links
Dominant (8) 3.8 4.0
Major (20) 2.0 2.2
Secondary (68) 1.3 1.0
Minor (237) 0.7 0.4The dominant philosophers have, on the average, considerably more predeces-
sors and associates who are intellectually significant than other major philoso-
phers do, and so on down the line. The disparities are even greater on the
output side. Moreover, if we examine the network in regard to the eminence
of those intellectuals to whom each one is linked, we find that the more eminent
philosophers themselves tend to be more closely linked to others at high levels
of eminence. Of 28 philosophers at the major and dominant levels, 18 (64
percent) are linked to others at those levels, compared to 33 of 68 (49 percent)
secondary philosophers who are so linked. Generally speaking, the higher up
in the ranking of eminence, the more connections: Socrates is directly connected
with 3 other major philosophers and with 11 secondary ones; Plato is con-
nected with 3 major and 6 secondary philosophers.
For Chinese philosophers, the pattern is similar:Chinese philosophers Upstream links Downstream links
Dominant (9) 4.7 6.0
Major (16) 2.4 1.6
Secondary (61) 1.5 1.0
Minor (356) 1.0 0.4Again, the philosophers who dominate long periods of intellectual life have by
far the largest number of links to both predecessors and successors. Here we
are dealing only with their immediate contacts, in their own generation and
those just before and after. If we examine the chain extending backwards in
time, we see that the more important the philosopher, the more eminent his
contacts within successive links in the chain:China: dominant philosophers (9): 2 steps 4 steps
Number of major or dominant philosophers
upstream 2.1 3.3
Number of secondary philosophers upstream 1.9 3.0
Both kinds upstream 4.0 6.3
China: major philosophers (16): 2 steps 4 steps
Major or dominant philosophers upstream 0.8 1.4
Secondary philosophers upstream 1.6 2.5
Both kinds upstream 2.4 3.966 • (^) The Skeleton of Theory