This book was published in 1841 and collects together six lectures given by Carlyle in May 1840. In these lectures, Carlyle propagates his influential theory that history can be largely explained by the impact of “great men” or heroes: highly influential individuals who, due to either their personal charisma, intelligence, wisdom, or political skill, utilise their power in a way that has a decisive historical impact. In Carlyle’s view, certain “divinely inspired” men (ranging from religious figures to great generals) have shaped the world. Carlyle states that “The history of the world is but the biography of great men”, reflecting his belief that heroes shape history through both their personal attributes and divine inspiration – an idea that profoundly (though not uncontroversially) influenced nineteenth-century historical thought.
On Heroes, Hero-Worship and the Heroic in History sets out this belief, presenting history as having turned on the decisions of “heroes”, giving detailed analysis of the influence of several such men (including Muhammad, Shakespeare, Luther, Rousseau, and Napoleon). Carlyle also argues that the study of great men is “profitable” to one’s own heroic side, claiming that by examining the lives led by such heroes, we can discover something about our own true nature.