THE STRUGGLE BETWEEN GREAT MEN 143 



with conflicting theories, inventors with rival inven- Book n 



tions, statesmen with rival policies. It follows 



accordingly that though all these men may be pos- The influence 



sessed of talents indefinitely above the average, they 



would not all of them, were their influence over 



men equal, affect society in an equally advantageous others - 



way. Some men, indeed, whose talents are "decidedly 



exceptional" would, on account of some flaw or 



defect in their character, not promote, but, on the 



contrary, retard true progress, in exact proportion 



as they made their views prevail. Thus, though all 



progress is due to great men, all great men would 



not promote progress ; or they would, at all events, 



not promote it equally. Progress, therefore, as Progress, then, 



i r i r 1 , involves a 



resulting from the actions or great men, depends on struggle 

 the degree to which certain of them make their own lhefiuest V great 

 views prevail, and secure the rejection of others ^ureinHuence 

 which are directly or indirectly opposed to them. over others - 



* * _ and destroy 



It depends, that is to say, on a keen competitive the influence 

 struggle which is continually taking place within the 

 limits of the exceptional minority. 



And here we come to that further point of we now come 

 difference, which still remains to be noticed, point of differ- 

 between the part played in social progress 



fittest survivor. 



the great man, and the part in it played by the an and the 



r J J 



fittest according to the Darwinian theory. Two 

 points of difference between them have been noted 

 and explained already, one being that the fittest man 

 promotes progress only because he raises, by a 

 physiological process, the average capacities of his 

 successors, whereas the great man promotes pro- 



