Who was the greatest mind, Newton, Einstein, Da Vinci, or Socrates?

DaVinci because he was brilliant in so many areas, and invented things far before his time. He painted the Mona Lisa. He invented helicopters and concepts for other flying machines. He was a mathematician. The others were, of course, all brilliant as well - but generally only in one area (physics, mathmatics, philosophy, etc). DaVinci displayed a rare gift of being brilliant in many areas.

Da Vinci, because he excelled in so many different fields. Socrates has to come at the bottom because there were several other Greek philosphers who were just as original as him in their own way (Diogenes, Plato and so on). I'll call it a dead heat between Newton and Einstein.

me, hehe

Newton, Einstein, Socrates and Da Vinci.

Different times, different fields. While Socrates was known for his love of knowledge, truth and wisdom, he was also a mathematician but he did not attend colleges or universities; his mind and his ability to analise and inspire learning was uncanny, to say the least. For a while, he was a soldier (and hero) and he lived the most modest (austere) life of the selection you suggest. Da Vinci was so multi-talented and he lived many, many centuries after Socrates, and a few hundred years before Newton; Da Vinci was a painter of great fame and talent, rivaled by his contemporary, Michelangelo; he made discoveries in anatomy and designed (but never made working models to confirm if they worked) ideas for futuristic inventions. Newton, who had the advantage of optics over the first two, made great original discoveries and immense strides in physics and mathematics as well as philosophy. Einstein...? Well, who can deny his greatness? But, he studied in great universities and he "stood on the shoulders of giants," as he used the discoveries and principles of others before him to build his own theories. If the "playing field" was level... all would have had the same education and background and advantages.. it would be a toss-up, in my personal opinion, between Socrates and Newton, followed by Einstein and Da Vinci.

Choice will have to between Newton and Einstein. Newton may be ranked higher , because he was the first one Saying that cosmic phenomena could be understood and quantified in terms of laws formulated by humans was and still is a revolutionary idea.Normally , it is difficult , even unfair , to compare people from different times.

Newton

eistein of course what nicer or smarter to figure out thow the universe works?;)

Socrates changed thinking on religion, Da Vinci on art and architecture, Newton on the basic physics model and Einstein developed the new one, so they're incomparable, but Einstein invented the nuke so to hell with that.