What is greatness?

[Waterwolf]

Louis Farrakhan has said Hitler was a 'great man'. Hitler was responsible for many atrocities, but was also undoubtedly one of the key figures in 20th-Century history. So is there any value of greatness for which Hitler could be considered great? Or can only the good be great?

[geofbob]

The word "great" has a range of meanings, sometimes implying bigness (as in the Great Lakes), sometimes implying goodness and/or approval (as in everyday speech "great movie" or "great party"). Usually "great man" is used in the latter way, to indicate approval. Of course, this doesn't mean that all great men are saints. For example, though Winston Churchill is often described as a great man, he performed some actions, and has some characteristics, which lots of people would not approve; but on balance most people would agree he merits the adjective "great". On those terms, I don't see how Hitler can be described as a "great man", though of course he was a great rabble rouser and great warmonger. Your term "key figure" seems very apt.

[Aquinas]

Time Magazine also voted Hitler man of the year (in 1938 I believe). The bad can be great; after all it depends where you are standing... Good and Bad are just matters of opinion... as is Great I suppose.

[drug_enduced]

if u put aside all the bad that he did, u find a scared, alone man with many talents, he was a born leader of men, a great patriot, when he started on his long journey i am convinced he believed he was doing germany a great favour, he wanted germany to be controlled by the germans, he was a great painter. type "hitlers paintings" into google and have a look. if he had choice to use his power for gud then the world cud have been a much better place than it is now, look at all the horrid things the british empire got up to in the name of god and the king and i ss them as worse