Christopher Maboloc
Thomas Carlyle wrote that history is a product of the genius and courage of great men. This idea rests in the assumption that all talent is in born or that some individuals are destined for greatness. Think for instance of Napoleon, Peter the Great, or Alexander the Great. This sort of hero worship suggests that the abilities of a thousand brave men cannot be equal 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 actually 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 hard to paint the oppressive regime perpetrated by the Nazis. The Nazis believed in Adolf Hitler, who saw the misery suffered by the Germans after the signing of their surrender to the Allied Powers at Versailles as a curse brought to Germany by the Jews. Hitler was no more than a madman who used propaganda through Joseph Goebbels in order to control the minds of the German population. By employing the manipulative powers of the state apparatus, violence, and Hitler’s storm troopers, the Jews in Europe were persecuted, one that culminated in the Final Solution.
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 or move countless people to achieve specific goals in society by means of their absolute influence, a point that William James supports. Great men, James thinks, 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.
American exceptionalism is that claim that supports the idea that the United States is the global police that in charge of maintaining peace in the whole world. America believes that it is the protector of democracy and its future. Not only that, it wants democracy in every nation or society. For this reason, every time the US intervenes in any conflict, such an act is founded in the belief that it is fighting for the cause of freedom. But the US has had many involvements in terms of causing the devastation of some countries, one of which was Cambodia during the Vietnam War. Afraid that communism might spread, Henry Kissinger advised the US President to expand the war into Vietnam’s neighbor.
In the War on Gaza, started by Hamas when it attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, it is erroneous to think that the world needs a great man to stop the war. Far from it. The great men who are in control of the world today are very few – Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Benjamin Netanyahu, and if elected into office, Donald Trump. The whole world is on its feet. Small countries such as the Philippines can only observe in the sidelines, despite the rhetoric of improving its military. We have to be careful. While the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has protected its 32 standing members, a big expansion through the years from the original 12, NATO is helpless against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Ukraine is a not a member of NATO. But the reason why Russia is attacking its neighbor was the intent of Ukraine to become a member way back in 2008.
We live in dangerous times. Our only comfort is the fact that the ordinariness of our lives has actually shielded us from the ambitions of great men. Without a General Dwight Eisenhower, it would be hard to imagine how the war was won in favor of the Allied Forces. An old African Proverb still possesses the power of its wisdom: “When the elephants dance, the grasses get trampled.” This wisdom must guide our leaders in the years to come.