The 100

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The cover of the 1992 edition.
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The cover of the 1992 edition.

The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History is a 1978 book by Michael H. Hart. It is a ranking of the 100 people who, in his opinion, most influenced human history. Since publication the book has been hotly debated and its concept widely copied. It is important to note that Dr. Hart did not rank the greatest people. His criterion was influence.

The book was reprinted in 1992 with several notable revisions made to the original list of 100 people and their associated rankings. Chief among these revisions was the demotion of figures associated with Communism, such as Vladimir Lenin and Mao Zedong, and the introduction of Mikhail Gorbachev. Hart took sides in the Shakespearean authorship issue and substituted Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford for William Shakespeare. Hart also substituted Niels Bohr and Henri Becquerel with Ernest Rutherford, thus correcting an error in the first edition. Henry Ford was also promoted from the "Honorary Mentions" list, replacing Pablo Picasso. Finally, some of the rankings were re-ordered, although no one listed in the top ten changed position.

Contents

[edit] Hart's Top 15 (from the 1992 edition)

Rank
Name
Influence
1 Mohammad Founder of Islam
2 Isaac Newton physicist, theory of universal gravitation, laws of motion, major developments in mathematics, optics, thermodynamics
3 Jesus Christ central figure of what would become Christianity
4 Buddha founder of Buddhism
5 Confucius founder of Confucianism
6 St. Paul proselytizer of Christianity
7 Ts'ai Lun inventor of paper
8 Johannes Gutenberg developed movable type and made great advances in printing
9 Christopher Columbus explorer, led Europe to the Americas
10 Albert Einstein physicist, relativity, Einsteinian physics
11 Louis Pasteur scientist, pasteurization, Germ Theory
12 Galileo Galilei astronomer, accurately described heliocentric solar system, led way to Newton's work
13 Aristotle Greek philosopher
14 Euclid Greek mathematician, Euclidean geometry, author of various influential theories
15 Moses major prophet of Judaism and leader of Israel


[edit] Subjectivity

Both the selection of the 100 individuals and their ranking in relationship to each other are highly subjective enterprises. While Hart makes an effort to justify his selection and ordering, he makes it clear that both are entirely his own opinion. For example, Hart is a scientist, which may be reflected in his emphasis upon scientific figures, such as his choice to rank Isaac Newton above Jesus Christ. However, this point is countered by the fact that the top figure on this list is Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam.

Hart admits that any assessment of historical significance depends on a perspective which only time can provide. To rate the historical importance of contemporary figures is almost impossible, while in other cases ranking will depend on an individual's assessment of the relative importance of the fields of scientific, cultural and religious endeavour.

Hart makes the point in the book that prior to the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, Vladimir Lenin was ranked much higher on the list.

[edit] Further reading

  • The 100, Michael H. Hart, Carol Publishing Group, July 1992, paperback, 576 pages, ISBN 0-8065-1350-0
  • The 100 Most Influential Scientists, John Simmons (1996, 1997), Robinson, paperback, 504 pages, ISBN 1-85487-989-8.
  • Quantum Leaps - 100 Scientists Who Changed the World, Jon Balchin (2004), Capella - Arcutus Publishing Ltd, large format paperback, 208 pages, ISBN 1-84193-156-X
  • Philosophy - 100 Essential Thinkers, Philip Stokes (2002), Capella - Arcutus Publishing Ltd, large format paperback, 208 pages, ISBN 1-84193-139-X

[edit] Other lists

[edit] External links

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