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 Maarten Maartensz:    Philosophical Dictionary | Filosofisch Woordenboek                      

 L - Leaders

 

Leaders: In human society: Those with power or influence, whose commands are followed or whose ideas adopted.

It is a curious and important fact about the human animal that most men follow leaders, and are conformists and followers. In part this seems due to humans being social animals; in part to the fact that relatively few are intelligent, independent, or strong; and in part to the fact that every human being spends the first 15 or 25 years of his life as a weak dependent of stronger and larger adults.

Also see: Authority, Power


Literature:

Goffman, Machiavelli, Mills, Tuchman
 

 Original: Dec 7, 2004                                                Last edited: 22 December 2007.   Top