Is there really no woman to be named? What is the gender issue with public thinkers?
People complain about tasks or requirements.
Well, why don’t you propose a better idea instead of complaining?
For example, I like Heloise d’Argenteuil. Her view on marriage being contractual prostitution was a fun & thought provoking read back in my college days. However, she's hardly my favorite thinker.
Francis Xavier is my favorite public thinker. That's not because he's the greatest thinker that ever lived (I'd put Democritus as that one), but rather because he's one of the founders of the order of monks that educated me in high-school/college. He's who I resonate with. It's not a value judgment.
I guess we identify ourself to them easier.