On Heroes, Hero-Worship, and the Heroic in History

In this opening lecture, the speaker turns his mind to the towering figures who have shaped human history, asking what makes a man a hero and why we are drawn to their light. He argues that great individuals are not merely products of circumstance but living fountains of original insight, whose radiance can illuminate even the darkest ages. By treating heroes as almost divine, he sets the stage for a sweeping survey that will span continents and centuries.

He then probes the deeper notion of religion, insisting that a person's true faith is found not in public creeds but in the inner conviction that guides their relationship to the unseen world. This inner stance, whether rooted in pagan force, Christian holiness, or skeptical inquiry, determines the character of a hero's deeds. Listeners will be invited to meet six distinct types of heroic figures, each offering a glimpse into the marrow of universal history without revealing the outcomes of their stories.