On heroes and hero-worship

Published in 1841, this book is a collection of six lectures delivered by Thomas Carlyle in 1840, in which he examines the nature of heroism and the impact of great individuals on the course of history.

Carlyle identifies six types of heroes—divinity, prophet, poet, priest, man of letters, and king—and illustrates each with historical figures such as Odin, Muhammad, Dante, Shakespeare, Luther, Johnson, Rousseau, Cromwell, and Napoleon.

Carlyle argues that heroes are defined by their sincerity, creative energy, and ability to confront the contradictions of the world, rather than by moral perfection.

The work is both a celebration of individual greatness and a challenge to the impersonal forces of the Industrial Revolution.