Admiration Without Worship: The Fallibilization of the Hero and the Moral Logic of Modernity

Authors

• Mohsen Askari, Bogazici UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Abstract

This article develops the concept of the fallibilization of the hero, defined as the cultural process through which admired figures become visible as flawed, historically situated, morally complex human beings. It argues that modernity does not abolish heroism but changes the conditions under which it can be believed. In hagiographic systems, heroes are protected from contradiction and presented as pure or destined; in modern‑critical systems, greatness can coexist with error, weakness, and compromise. The article situates fallibilization within debates on heroism science, hagiography, charismatic authority, collective memory, and modern biography, proposing a four‑part typology of heroic forms: hagiographic, developmental, fallibilized, and debunked. An illustrative comparison of Iranian poets and political martyrs shows that fallibilization varies by domain. Ultimately, a society’s treatment of heroic flaws reveals its theory of authority and enables admiration without worship.

DOI

10.26736/hs.2026.02.02

Recommended Citation

Askari, Mohsen (2026) "Admiration Without Worship: The Fallibilization of the Hero and the Moral Logic of Modernity," Heroism Science: Vol. 11: Iss. 2, Article 2.
DOI: 10.26736/hs.2026.02.02
Available at: https://scholarship.richmond.edu/heroism-science/vol11/iss2/2