Is Russell Brand really one of the world's greatest thinkers? Intellectual magazine faces ridicule after it votes comedian fourth in list of influential minds

  • Comedian Russell Brand is rated the fourth greatest thinker in the world
  • Intellectual magazine Prospect asked readers to vote for the best minds
  • Others in the top ten are economists, philosophers and a US surgeon
  • But Brand's ranking among 'great thinkers' has been mocked online

By Hannah Parry For Mailonline

Published: | Updated:

Russell Brand has been voted as the world's fourth greatest thinker by readers of intellectual magazine Prospect.

The comedian-turned-anarchist has beaten the likes of Nobel peace prize winner Henry Kissinger and Booker prize recipient Hilary Mantel to make it into the top ten list of influential minds. 

Unveiling its list of world thinkers in its latest edition, Prospect described Brand as 'the spiritual leader of Britain's disaffected anti-capitalist youth'.

Russell Brand has been voted as the world's fourth greatest thinker by readers of an intellectual magazine

Russell Brand has been voted as the world's fourth greatest thinker by readers of an intellectual magazine

But the magazine is facing ridicule for including the self-style revolutionary on the list of eminent philosophers, economists and writers.

Drayton Bird ‏wrote on Twitter: 'Beyond parody: if this wag is a great thinker, my vote goes to Peppa Pig.'

Tim Walker added: 'A generation or so ago, Bertrand Russell was considered to be a great thinker. Now, comically, it's Russell Brand.'

Marlowe ‏tweeted: 'Russell Brand great thinker??? They misheard someone say 'little tinker'.'

While writer David Oldroyd-Bolt added: 'It's utterly perverse. Russell Brand? Nothing more than a Dickensian demagogue.'

Television and radio presenter Brand, who lost his Radio 2 slot over prank calls to actor Andrew Sachs, made his name in stand-up.

Brand joined the likes of Hilary Mantel and Henry Kissinger on the 50-strong list of great minds

Brand joined the likes of Hilary Mantel and Henry Kissinger on the 50-strong list of great minds

But the millionaire's attempts to re-brand himself as an anti-capitalist revolutionary have seen him accused of hypocrisy.

Last December Simon Cowell branded him a 'hypocrite' after he accused the comedian of accepting large Hollywood film salaries whilst campaigning against the UK political system.

According to the Mirror, the music mogul told Russell to give up his multi-million pound salary if he is planning to continue his campaigning streak.

Brand faced further backlash that month when he joined a protest about rising rents in London even though he lives in a £2million bachelor pad owned by a firm based in a tax haven.

The star, believed to be worth £9million, was helping deliver a petition on affordable housing to 10 Downing Street but flew into a rage when TV reporter Paraic O'Brien asked him whether the super-rich buying up property in London was driving up prices for everyone else.

Prospect described Brand as 'the spiritual leader of Britain's disaffected anti-capitalist youth'

Prospect described Brand as 'the spiritual leader of Britain's disaffected anti-capitalist youth'

Prospect admitted that Brand's inclusion on the list had caused 'intense' discussions among staff.

But the magazine said that while he was often 'dismissed by his opponents as a clownish opportunist and even a hypocrite due to his own wealth, he is nevertheless the most charismatic figure on Britain's populist left.' 

PROSPECT MAGAZINE'S TOP TEN GREAT THINKERS

1. Thomas Piketty, French economist.

2. Yanis Varoufakis, Greek finance minister.

3. Naomi Klein, US author.

4. Russell Brand, UK comedian and campaigner.

5. Paul Krugman, US economist.

6. Arundhati Roy, Indian writer and activist.

7. Jurgen Habermas, German philosopher.

8. Daniel Kahneman, US-Israeli psychologist.

9. John Gray, UK philosopher.

10. Atul Gawande, US surgeon and writer. 

This year's winner was French economist Thomas Piketty, whose Capital in the Twenty-First Century book explored the thesis is that capitalist economies have a natural tendency to incubate highly unequal distributions of income and wealth. 

The surprise best-seller, was described as having an 'extraordinary' impact outside the world of professional economists.

Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis was rated second greatest thinker and US author Naomi Klein came third. Nobel Prize winner Paul Krugman and German philosopher Jurgen Habermas were also in the top ten.

Rated as ninth was British philosopher John Gray, the former Professor of European Thought at the London School of Economics, who was described as 'the West's pre-eminent oracle of catastrophe'.

Prospect said it was 'striking' that several of its top 10 thinkers - including Piketty, Brand, Krugman and Varoufakis, a member of the radical Syriza government, as well as US author Naomi Klein - were 'broadly speaking on the political left'.

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