On Heroes: Hero-Worship and the Heroic in History - Softcover

Carlyle, Thomas

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1523420596 ISBN 13: 9781523420599

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2016

Synopsis

On Heroes

Hero-Worship and the Heroic in History

By Thomas Carlyle

We have undertaken to discourse here for a little on Great Men, their manner of appearance in our world's business, how they have shaped themselves in the world's history, what ideas men formed of them, what work they did;—on Heroes, namely, and on their reception and performance; what I call Hero-worship and the Heroic in human affairs. Too evidently this is a large topic; deserving quite other treatment than we can expect to give it at present. A large topic; indeed, an illimitable one; wide as Universal History itself. For, as I take it, Universal History, the history of what man has accomplished in this world, is at bottom the History of the Great Men who have worked here. They were the leaders of men, these great ones; the modellers, patterns, and in a wide sense creators, of whatsoever the general mass of men contrived to do or to attain; all things that we see standing accomplished in the world are properly the outer material result, the practical realization and embodiment, of Thoughts that dwelt in the Great Men sent into the world: the soul of the whole world's history, it may justly be considered, were the history of these. Too clearly it is a topic we shall do no justice to in this place!

One comfort is, that Great Men, taken up in any way, are profitable company. We cannot look, however imperfectly, upon a great man, without gaining something by him. He is the living light-fountain, which it is good and pleasant to be near. The light which enlightens, which has enlightened the darkness of the world; and this not as a kindled lamp only, but rather as a natural luminary shining by the gift of Heaven; a flowing light-fountain, as I say, of native original insight, of manhood and heroic nobleness;—in whose radiance all souls feel that it is well with them. On any terms whatsoever, you will not grudge to wander in such neighborhood for a while. These Six classes of Heroes, chosen out of widely distant countries and epochs, and in mere external figure differing altogether, ought, if we look faithfully at them, to illustrate several things for us. Could we see them well, we should get some glimpses into the very marrow of the world's history.

LECTURES ON HEROES.

 

LECTURE I.          THE HERO AS DIVINITY. ODIN. PAGANISM: SCANDINAVIAN MYTHOLOGY.

 

LECTURE II.         THE HERO AS PROPHET. MAHOMET: ISLAM.

 

LECTURE III.        THE HERO AS POET. DANTE: SHAKSPEARE.

 

LECTURE IV.        THE HERO AS PRIEST. LUTHER; REFORMATION: KNOX;

                         PURITANISM.

 

LECTURE V.         THE HERO AS MAN OF LETTERS. JOHNSON, ROUSSEAU, BURNS.

 

LECTURE VI.        THE HERO AS KING. CROMWELL, NAPOLEON: MODERN REVOLUTIONISM.

 

About this title

About the Author:

Thomas Carlyle was a Victorian-era Scottish author, philosopher, and historian. Raised by a strict Calvinist family, Carlyle abandoned his career with the clergy in 1821 after losing his faith, focusing instead on writing. Carlyle went on to publish such noted works as Life of Schiller, Sartor Resartuswhich was inspired by his crisis of faith, and The French Revolution, and became one of the most prominent writers of his day. Carlyle s later works included Heroes and Hero-Worship and Frederick the Great. Carlyle passed away in 1881.

About this edition

• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 1523420596
• ISBN 13: 9781523420599
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 170