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Philosophy is difficult, a demanding mistress. I state the obvious. Who do I think responded best to its rigors? My top three are Thomas Nagel, Michael Ayers, and Bernard Suits—each in their different ways. They each managed to scale a high tree, swim in deep water, breathe a finer air. I won’t here summarize their contributions, but they are the three that have made the biggest impression on me. Historically, I nominate Descartes, Locke, Berkeley, Hume, and Reid—for obvious reasons. Iris Murdoch and Elizabeth Anscombe have had their moments, as have Peter Geach and Sydney Shoemaker. Brian O’Shaughnessy deserves a special mention.