I nominate Alan Watts (1915–1973), philosopher for Great Dudes in history.

[Dr. Dave]

I nominate Alan Watts for Great Dudes in history.

Alan Wilson Watts was a British writer and speaker known for interpreting and popularizing Buddhism, Taoism, and Hinduism for a Western audience. Born in Christchurch, England, he moved to the United States in 1938 and began Zen training in New York. He received a master's degree in theology from Seabury-Western Theological Seminary and became an Episcopal priest in 1945. He left the ministry in 1950 and moved to California, where he joined the faculty of the American Academy of Asian Studies.

In October 1973, Watts returned from a European lecture tour to his cabin in Druid Heights, California. (Look that commune up) Friends of Watts had been concerned about him for some time over his alcoholism. On 16 November 1973, at age 58, he died in his sleep.

This man has opened my eyes to spirituality and meditation. Alcoholic, author, academic square who evolved into a wonderfully intelligent enlightened hippy. Marriage an affair, divorced, defrocked etc, What more could we ask for?  Dude of the year man.

[HnauHnakrapunt]

He appeared here and some say he's wonderful, some say he was too aggressive/undude in private life. I would say that someone who talks for years about all kind of Eastern things without rejecting as a whole the Bible stuff is dude enough. Too often people become Buddhists just because 'there is no God there'.
Some say ecumenic attitude is naive but I think he did something for this kind of change.

[VSue]

Sounds like a great Dude in many ways.