Thomas Carlyle was one of the first philosophers to recognize the phenomena of the "Maniac Hero" whose charisma combined with abilities give rise to senseless awe among the masses. One finds his genius within his descriptive insights as opposed to his normative postulations.

Links to Thomas Carlyle's Works:

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Thomas Carlyle's work is a major influence on the evolution of human thought. Nietsche's celebrated the Maniac Hero in his concept of the ruthless politician who lives by the slogan: "The good old rule, the simple plan, that he should keep who has the power, and he should take who can." Carlyle counseled readers to remember that "All heroes will be flawed. Their heroism is found in their creative energy in the face of these difficulties, not in their moral perfection. To sneer at such a person for their failings is the philosophy of those who seek comfort in the conventional. Carlyle called this 'valetism', from the expression 'no man is a hero to his valet.'" Carlyle's rooted many of his concepts in his belief that history reveals an ongoing evolutionary process that eventually reveals that all heros are simply men and there is an inherent danger in the deification of them. The maniac hero discovers the vehicle to exploitation of the masses within the affirmation of the life process, accepting its cruelty as necessary and sells the idea that it is good. The Maniac Hero values courage more than compassion and upon winning the field demonstrates the maxim that "absolute power corrupts absolutely" Carlyle's work is studied by those who wish to attain power and those who wish to understand the dangers of the Maniac Hero. Carlyle's major contribution is his insight into the how the maniac Hero rises to power and why so often regular folks everywhere in the world are repeatedly duped by charismatic politicians, prophets and warriors.