THE WORLD'S GREATEST MEN
mostly in the power of transforming the surrounding conditions, e.g., that by which man can alter the relation of the world-forces with one another and bring about new international arrangements. It is such creations of circumstances and new conditions in the environment that are really responsible for the diversity of national fortunes during the same age, e.g., industrial revolution in one country but political decadence in another, or religious propagandism among one people and literary enthusiasm among another; as well as for the diversity of movements and agitations among the same people in different ages.
This creation of new circumstances and transformation of the existing conditions, again, explain the diversity of revolutions and the types of
71
