On Heroes, Hero Worship, and the Heroic in History

Nonfiction, History, British, Religion & Spirituality, Philosophy
Cover of the book On Heroes, Hero Worship, and the Heroic in History by Thomas Carlyle, Yale University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Thomas Carlyle ISBN: 9780300148626
Publisher: Yale University Press Publication: August 20, 2013
Imprint: Yale University Press Language: English
Author: Thomas Carlyle
ISBN: 9780300148626
Publisher: Yale University Press
Publication: August 20, 2013
Imprint: Yale University Press
Language: English
Based on a series of lectures delivered in 1840, Thomas Carlyle’s On Heroes, Hero-Worship, and the Heroic in History considers the creation of heroes and the ways they exert heroic leadership. From the divine and prophetic (Odin and Muhammad) to the poetic (Dante and Shakespeare) to the religious (Luther and Knox) to the political (Cromwell and Napoleon), Carlyle investigates the mysterious qualities that elevate humans to cultural significance.

By situating the text in the context of six essays by distinguished scholars that reevaluate both Carlyle’s work and his ideas, David Sorensen and Brent Kinser argue that Carlyle's concept of heroism stresses the hero’s spiritual dimension. In Carlyle’s engagement with various heroic personalities, he dislodges religiosity from religion, myth from history, and truth from “quackery” as he describes the wondrous ways in which these “flowing light-fountains” unlock the heroic potential of ordinary human beings.
Based on a series of lectures delivered in 1840, Thomas Carlyle’s On Heroes, Hero-Worship, and the Heroic in History considers the creation of heroes and the ways they exert heroic leadership. From the divine and prophetic (Odin and Muhammad) to the poetic (Dante and Shakespeare) to the religious (Luther and Knox) to the political (Cromwell and Napoleon), Carlyle investigates the mysterious qualities that elevate humans to cultural significance.

By situating the text in the context of six essays by distinguished scholars that reevaluate both Carlyle’s work and his ideas, David Sorensen and Brent Kinser argue that Carlyle's concept of heroism stresses the hero’s spiritual dimension. In Carlyle’s engagement with various heroic personalities, he dislodges religiosity from religion, myth from history, and truth from “quackery” as he describes the wondrous ways in which these “flowing light-fountains” unlock the heroic potential of ordinary human beings.

More books from Yale University Press

Cover of the book Revolution, Resistance, and Reform in Village China by Thomas Carlyle
Cover of the book Too Much to Know: Managing Scholarly Information before the Modern Age by Thomas Carlyle
Cover of the book Legends of Early Rome by Thomas Carlyle
Cover of the book The Quest for Drug Control by Thomas Carlyle
Cover of the book Wellington's Wars: The Making of a Military Genius by Thomas Carlyle
Cover of the book Heretics and Believers by Thomas Carlyle
Cover of the book Black Ranching Frontiers by Thomas Carlyle
Cover of the book The Euro: The Battle for the New Global Currency by Thomas Carlyle
Cover of the book Abraham's Children: Liberty and Tolerance in an Age of Religious Conflict by Thomas Carlyle
Cover of the book How to Rig an Election by Thomas Carlyle
Cover of the book When London Was Capital of America by Thomas Carlyle
Cover of the book Victorian Bloomsbury by Thomas Carlyle
Cover of the book Bush v. Gore by Thomas Carlyle
Cover of the book Between Truth and Time by Thomas Carlyle
Cover of the book Nikita Khrushchev by Thomas Carlyle
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy