CHAPTER III

THE QUALITIES OF THE ORDINARY AS OPPOSED TO THE GREAT MAN

It will be objected that the conclusions reached in the last chapter derogate from the dignity of the average man • 250

But they do not really do so; • 251

for since the great man, as here technically defined, is the man who influences others so as to promote progress, • 251

the ordinary man, as opposed to him, need not be stupid • 252

He is merely the man whose talents do not increase the efficiency of other men • 252

Poets, in this technical sense, are ordinary men • 252

So are the most skilful manual workers, • 253

for very great manual skill does not promote progress or influence others, • 254

unless it can be metamorphosed into the shape of orders given to others • 256

Again, brilliance or charm in private life does not promote progress • 256

Therefore ordinary men, who do not promote progress, are not asserted to be lacking in high qualities • 257

Indeed, what is really interesting in human nature is the typical part of it, not the exceptional, • 258

as we may see by referring to art and poetry • 258

Average opinion also on social matters is for each class the wise opinion; • 259

and the average faculties shared by all are in one sense the test of truth • 259

Therefore in denying to the average man the powers that promote progress • 260

we are not degrading the average man. We are merely asserting that these powers form but a small part of life • 260

Socialists can object to this conclusion only because it establishes the claim of exceptional men to exceptional wealth • 262

They cannot have any theoretical objections to it, for they are beginning to recognise the importance of the exceptional man themselves, • 263

and only obscure the fact for purposes of popular agitation • 264

So far, however, as the reasoning of this book has gone already, no claim has been made for the great man to which socialists need object; • 264

for we have assumed that he keeps none of the exceptional wealth he makes, for himself, • 265

but that he works exactly on the terms the socialists would dictate to him • 266

It now remains to consider whether he would really do so • 266