Heroes, Legends, Champions: Why Heroism Matters

by Andrew Bernstein

This is not a self-help book. Its purpose is to not to show us how to apply the lessons of a hero's life in our own. Rather, it is a theoretical book, explaining what heroes are and why mankind needs them. Before we can emulate heroes, we must properly identify them, we must understand who and what they are....And what they are not. This is a matter of life and death. Some persons, for example, at various times have considered as heroes Adolf Hitler, Josef Stalin, and Osama bin Laden. If we are to promote human life, it is necessary for us to clearly understand that and why mass murderers are definitively excluded from the echelon of heroes. Chapters One, Two, and Three focus on the nature and definition of a hero, and provide a method for distinguishing a hero from non-heroes. Chapter Four raises the question of whether, under appropriate circumstances, everyman and everywoman can rise to heroic heights--and answers in the affirmative. Chapters Five, Six, and Seven dispute the time-honored notion that heroism involves self-sacrifice and demonstrate, rather, that heroism, properly understood, involves actions self-fulfilling; heroism and self-sacrifice are, in fact, moral antipodes. Chapter Eight discusses an appropriate response to morally flawed heroes--and Chapter Nine explains the errors of the modern antihero mentality. Finally, Chapter Ten shows the life-giving importance of hero worship. The two appendices validate philosophic principles that underlie the theory of heroes elucidated That human life is the standard of moral value and that human beings possess free will. This book does not purport to be an exhaustive analysis of a hero's nature. Presumably, there is more to be said. But it is a provocative first step toward understanding the nature of heroes, one that will hopefully spark a lively 21st century debate of this important subject.

Genres: Philosophy

151 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 25, 2020

About the author

Andrew Bernstein is an American philosopher. He is a proponent of Objectivism, the philosophy of Ayn Rand, and the author of several books, both fiction and non-fiction.

Reviews

[Emilie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bernstein's investigation of why heroism is surprisingly devalued in our modern culture is quite interesting. However, the book does repeat itself a bit and it only touches on the subject. I think a more thorough investigation would be worthwhile, particularly the current culture's obsession with superhero narratives, a fact which suggests the public does crave some representation of heroic characters (which Bernstein briefly mentions but never examines in any depth).

[Angel Walker-Werth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A refreshingly positive, clearly written discussion of what a hero is, what hero worship is, and why we need both. Only lost a star because I wish it had been more thorough; it's sadly brief, and there were areas he could have expanded on (such as how to build hero worship into one's life).

[Mark O'mara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Expected more, a deeper dive. Most of the book is describing the characteristics of heroes - which is a bit dull. The points about the dominance and influence of the anti-hero were interesting.

[Nick B · Rating 1 out of 5]

Intellectually barren libertarian propaganda riddled with American exceptionalism. Maybe it’s on me expecting some sort of nuance when we are talking about morality and heroism as such, but I was truly just stricken by the shameless binary, maximalist thinking from someone older than a teenager.

If you are looking for some in-depth analysis of various perspectives on morality and the different forms of heroism arising from it, this is not the book you are looking for.

If you are looking for someone to tell you that heroes do good things that “advance human life”, go read this.

Should have stopped the moment the author mentioned he is a big fan of Ayn Rand - would have saved a good chunk of time.

[JoséMaría BlancoWhite · Rating 2 out of 5]

Missing Christ you miss the whole thing.

[Michael Newberry · Rating 5 out of 5]

What Makes Hero?

An excellent and calmly reasoned book comparing and contrasting what defines a hero—told through stories and philosophical process. An excellent source for young people that feel the call to be special and for older people to refresh their values.