Great Man Theory

-

 

By Christopher Ryan Maboloc, PhD 

Thomas Carlyle wrote that history is a product of genius by great men. Such rests in the assumption that that talent is in born or that some individuals are destined for greatness. Think for instance of Napoleon or Alexander the Great. This sort of hero worship suggests that the abilities of a hundred brave men cannot be equal to say, the greatness of a general who commands an army in a battle. For this reason, tacticians think that he who commands his army must be protected at all costs. This attitude does not preclude what men below can do. Rather, it emphasizes the idea of heroism or superior leadership. Without a General Dwight Eisenhower, it would be hard to imagine how the war was won in favor of the Allied Forces. In the same way, without hero worship, it would be difficult to paint the oppressive regime perpetrated by the Nazis.

But the theory hides something. Herbert Spencer criticized Carlyle, saying that great men are a product of the historical situation or circumstances surrounding them. The idea of "history from below" suggests that small movements help shape all other bits and pieces that actually contribute to the making of history. However, the basic point of Carlyle is that great men, through their special qualities or attributes, inspire others to achieve specific goals in society by means of their absolute influence, a point that William James supports. Great men, James think, are a decisive factor in social change or the evolution of society, for without such an impulse, or what Max Weber calls charismatic leadership, nothing happens.

In truth, some people are so well-connected and that is the reason why they get what they want. As a result, things are never fair. It is not enough that there are rules. The rules must not be determined by those who possess the power to influence the outcomes, which means that there should be a process in which people can say their piece and contribute to the decision making. A person can be elected into office democratically, but an uneven political structure means that vested interests will determine how a leader behaves, given absolute powers, while in office.

Popular posts from this blog

What does it mean to be a Scholar?

-
Image
  By Menelito Mansueto, MA MSU-IIT  One of the heated issues in academia today is the ranking of scholars based on citations. It's only in the Philippines that getting cited is a source of scorn for some. So, let's look at the facts. Being cited means that other scholars are reading your work. It doesn't mean though that your paper has no value if it's not cited. A paper has several academic purposes. In the area of scholarship, however, if one claims to be an expert on a topic or a philosopher, it's important to consider the impact of your work among your peers, here and abroad. Internationally, top scholars have thousands of citations, which makes them influential in the field. In the Philippines, especially for Philosophy, it's quite an achievement to be recognized by your peers. We can mention two names, Jeremiah Joaquin and FPA Demeterio, both from DLSU. JJ has 594 citations while Demeterio has 395 citations. JJ's work is on analytic philosophy while De
Read more

The Paradigm Shift in Filipino Philosophical Theorizing

-
Image
By Menelito Mansueto (Mindanao State University - Iligan Institute of Technology) Department of Philosophy Looking at my own journey both as a philosophy enthusiast and as a struggling educator back then beginning as a young graduate of philosophy in early 2000, I have some significant points of reflection to offer for the present generation of graduates or students in Philosophy – the so-called millennials. In my case, the primary reason why I took Philosophy as a baccalaureate course was because I was under seminary formation in which case a four-year degree in Philosophy is mandatory. During my first semester as a freshman, honestly, I had no idea at all what Philosophy was, and why I was taking it at all. As a student in a university run by our own congregation, we had the privilege to simply attend classes without having to worry about enrollment concerns. Thanks to the SVD missionaries who formerly have a college seminary formation in Cebu back in the day which granted us the pri
Read more

What Filipino Philosophy Really Meant to Me

-
Image
By Menelito Mansueto, MA A few weeks ago, Dr. Christopher Ryan Maboloc wrote a short piece, “Doing Philosophy in the Philippines: My Take." That article provoked me to write my own with regard to this long controversy surrounding what has since become an issue - the meaning of Filipino Philosophy. After all, nobody has the exclusive authority to interpret what Filipino Philosophy is. Every definition is expected to be influenced by particular biases and cultural prejudice.  In my capacity as a writer, I would also like to share my thoughts regarding this issue. My involvement in Philosophy almost comprised my entire adult life. I began my journey as a seminarian in the SVD in 1998. In my early years in the formation, we woke up, dined, and engaged with religious brothers and priests who happen to be our formators. Bro. Romualdo Abulad was one of them. At that age though, I cannot figure it out his exact contribution to Filipino philosophy. But he was a mentor both intellectually a
Read more