I've thought about this quite a bit, especially with the Heinlein and Morals threads.  I was raised in a not particularly devout Methodist household, so religion wasn't much of an influence on me.  Instead, my personal philosophy has come mostly from my reading.  Three authors have affected me most:  Robert B. Parker and his character Spenser, John D. MacDonald and his character Travis McGee, and Robert Anson Heinlein and everything he wrote.  

I have more recently discovered P.J. O'Rourke and H.L. Mencken (among others,) but I read the first three authors as an adolescent, and the philosophy of personal responsibility, independence, and self-reliance expressed by them really clicked with me.  

So, who affected you?

Lieutenant General Lewis Burwell "Chesty" Puller, USMC Ret. I read "MARINE: The Life of Chesty Puller," by Burke Davis when I was 12 years old. It's a very engrossing story about a man who gave the greater part of his life for this country in the Banana Wars, World War II and Korea. He was a BAMF and yet was loved by his men.

From page 263 of the Bantam War Books paperback edition:

"From the time of the landing at Inchon the order had been that no dead Marines were to be buried; the bodies were lashed in ponchos and saved for the appropriate time and place. When they returned to Inchon the First [Marine] Division held a funeral for its dead at the outskirts of the city; loading of the ships [for the Wonsan landing] was underway at the docks.
Puller took two of his battalions to the cemetery for the ceremony and was standing in front of them as the bugles pealed and a flag was raised. He heard men growling in the ranks behind him. He did not turn.
"You guys keep quiet."
The sound subsided, but when it was over they beseiged him, pointing: "Look there, Colonel. Look at that damned rag they're flying up there --that United Nations thing. Hell, there's hardly a man lying out here but what's a Marine! How the hell they get that way, that United Nations crap?"
Puller went to General [O.P.] Smith [1st MarDiv CG]:
"I can control my men, but tonight after they get out in town and get some liquor, I can't swear you won't have trouble. I'm serious about this. They feel keenly about that damned United Nations flag over our cemetery."
Smith took the problem to General Almond [US Army X Corps CG]. Before sunset the UN flag had been replaced by the American flag, and the Marines were content."

Also, my grandfathers, father and the Boy Scouts of America.

My Grandfather, a then retired USAF Colonel, who instilled a deep sense of right and wrong, the bible, and John Wayne in me. I have tried to assimilate these things into a system of beliefs that works for me. The Boy Scouts of America I believe after my time involved with them, is one of the most worthwhile things a young man can be involved in, and I plan to "re-enlist" in thier ranks to support the future on this country.

I strayed from the path for some time during adolescence and feel that I only learned from this. It has served to reinforce in me the importance of the values I was tought as a child.

My religion first.  After that is has to be Heinlein.  I'm not just saying that because of the recent threads.  I read every one of his books and short stories.  I have thought about his philosophy many times.  He has had tremendous influence in my life.

God, my father, my wife and my children....in that order.

Sgtar15

It's funny. I'm sure I read at least a couple Heinlein books when I was in my early teens, but I never felt they were particularly philosophical and now I can't remember a thing about them. But maybe something in them did sink in; I gather Heinlein's outlook is somewhat similar to my own. Perhaps his views just appeared so normal to me that I just never paid special attention to them.

The one book that really stands out in my mind is Mark Twain's [i]The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.[/i] Especially the part how Huck struggles between what society has told him is right one one hand and what his own common sense and conscience tells him is right on the other. Finally he basically says, "I will go to hell, then, but do what [i]I[/i] know is right." No wonder the PC types want to ban this book.

Aside from books, I'd have to blame my brilliant but very weird older sister for setting a "bad" example for me. By the time she was about 15 years old, she seemed to have arrived at her own personal philosophy that rejected the teachings of our parents' church and most of what our society tries to mold us to, all without turning to any of the standard forms of advanced teenage rebellion, i.e. drug use, crime, sexual promiscuity, weird clothing/makeup, offbeat religious cults, etc. I guess she was so totally independent that she did not need to be a part of any alternative group that "slouched to attention," as Ian Anderson put it. A very courageous path to blaze, for one so young.

Ghandi, Beetle Bailey, good whiskey and high dollar hookers [:D]
W

Guns&Ammo.

Once I read my first issue, I was on the way to being liberated from Liberalism.

Then, I started listening to Rush.
Rush IS right!!

After that, here I am.

Rottin' Robert - "Whiskey for me and my friends, beer for the rest of the cocksuckers.

Parents, grandparents, aunts & uncles, church - in that order.

Tate

Jehovah, Christ, Parents, Wife, Kids, business partner, and LIFE!

btt, just this once.

My father taught me everything I needed to know about the Lord, our family, and what makes a man a real man.

He used examples from his life to teach me what every father should teach his son. Gen. MacArthur was his personal hero - he served under him in the Pacific and in Japan.

The Confederate heroes were good subjects. I [u]really[/u] did sleep with a portrait of Robert E. Lee over my bed. And Stonewall, too.

My father's father was another good source of material for building a solid philosophy in this world. My father had considerable patience with his children, but his father was the single most patient man I ever knew!

The political philosophers, the writers, and the rest, are just icing.

Eric The(TastyIcing,ButNothingMore)Hun[>]:)]

My parents. I didn't realize how much they influenced me until I was in my mid 20's. I was very lucky to have my parents!

Ma and Pa 12_15_20_2_15_25!

For starters: My Maternal Grandfather, Robert Heinlein's Books, my Cello Teacher (A Russian Jew who fled Stalinist Russia in 1932 and lived in Poland, and Nazi Germany during the 1930's: he left Germany in 1939: was in England during the Battle of Britain then managed to get on a freighter to come to the USA..while German U-boats were sinking ships left and right..)

Also 2 bosses that I had when I was very young: one guy grew up as an orphan in Italy in WWII: the other guy escaped Communist Czechoslovakia.

These guys straightened me out on the Nazis, Communists and on what big governments do: disarm people and then victimize them once they are disarmed.

1.) Darwin

2.) Carl Sagan

3.) Machivelli

4.) Arthur C. Clark

5.) Robert A Heinlein

6.) Mel Tappan

7.) Dr. Bruce Clayton

8.) Jeff Cooper

9.) P.J. O'Rourke

10.) Tom Clancy

Ayn Rand

[:D]

No kidding?[:D]

My parents and my church (Thanks guys!  I am an atheist and my thoughts are dictated to me by myself alone.)
My ninth grade english teacher.  Introduced the the phrase and idea of "Fuck not lest ye be fucked with".  Words to live by.

my parents-know the difference between right and wrong
gary cooper and john wayne-stand up for what you know is right, no matter what the price, then pay it cheerfully.
steppenwolf-the govt just may not be your true friend.
jimi hendrix-"you just cant believe everything you see and hear, now can you?"

Politics:  Keith Wortham, Army buddy,

Life and integrity, mom and dad.

WL

My father, and the Massachusetts divorce court system.

The apostle Paul.

Ayn Rand.

C. S. Lewis.

Pastor Denny.

Sue. [she knows who she is]

The actions of the Clinton/Gore administration were a huge influence.

John Ross.

Jack Daniels [A man I know, not the booze.  Well, ok, the booze too.]

Yes, smileys taught me the meaning of life, the universe, and everything.

Heinlein (no really, this isn't a band wagon thing)

Nietzche

Goethe

Machiavelli

Darwin

St. Augustine

St. John of Patmos

Tomas Sandoval

Yeshua bin Miriam (Jesus)

Sun Tzu

Clausewitz

Many others

Lew Rockwell- He by far has solified my beliefs, and cleared up my confusions. I read almost everything he has on his [url=http://www.lewrockwell.co]site[/url].

Ron Paul

Patrick Henry

George Washington

James Madison

Thomas Jefferson

Jefferson Davis

Among many others.