How do people in different cultures view history? Around the globe, who are regarded as the best and worst historical figures? A new survey out now inPLoS ONE reveals the patterns of world opinion: “Heroes” and “Villains” of World History across Cultures.
The researchers, led by Katja Hanke of Germany and James H. Liu of New Zealand, polled 6,902 university students from 37 different countries. In an anonymous survey, the participants rated 40 historical figures on a seven point scale from ‘extremely negative’ to ‘extremely positive’.
Overall, Albert Einstein was rated most favorably. Mother Theresa came in at #2, followed by Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Newton, Jesus, Nelson Mandela, Thomas Edison, Abraham Lincoln and finally Buddha at #10.
How about the villains? Here, from worst to best, the most negative ratings were: Hitler, Osama bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, George W. Bush, Stalin, Mao Zedong, Lenin, Genghis Khan, Saladin and ...
