Comments on the “Evil People” lists have often sparked a demand for a roster of truly great souls. After digging deep, I’ve compiled a lineup of ten remarkably good men—many of whom are household names. As the “Top 10 Most Evil Men List” reminded us, villainy is plentiful, but genuine goodness is a rarer treasure. If you think someone belongs on this roster or notice an omission (and there are bound to be many), feel free to chime in below. I hope you enjoy this celebration of the world’s most peaceful gentlemen.
1 Baha’u’llah
According to the Baha’i faith, Baha’u’llah entered the world in 1817, hailing from a distinguished Persian patrician family whose lineage stretched back to the empire’s ruling dynasties. Blessed with wealth and sprawling estates, he could have comfortably pursued a courtly career, yet he chose a path of generosity and kindness that endeared him to his fellow Persians.
His privileged station evaporated after he embraced the Báb’s message. The violent backlash against the Bábís following the Báb’s execution stripped Baha’u’llah of his material assets and subjected him to imprisonment, torture, and a string of exiles. First, he was dispatched to Baghdad, where in 1863 he proclaimed himself the promised one of the Báb. Subsequent banishments took him to Constantinople, then Adrianople, and finally to Acre in the Holy Land, where he arrived as a prisoner in 1868.
From Adrianople and later Acre, Baha’u’llah penned a series of letters to the era’s rulers—documents that stand among the most extraordinary in religious literature. These missives urged the unification of humanity and the birth of a world civilization, calling on 19th‑century kings, emperors, and presidents to set aside their rivalries, curb armaments, and channel their energies toward universal peace. Baha’u’llah died at Bahji, just north of Acre, and was interred there. By then, his teachings had already begun to ripple far beyond the Middle East, and his shrine now serves as the focal point for a global community inspired by his vision.
2 Benjamin Franklin
Born in Boston on January 17, 1706, Benjamin Franklin’s life reads like a masterclass in the American ideal. He entered grammar school at eight, but by ten he was already laboring, and at twelve he began an apprenticeship with his brother James, a printer of the New England Courant. By 1721 he’d anonymously contributed his first article, showcasing a sharp wit and a skeptical mind.
His satirical pieces soon alienated Boston’s establishment, prompting a daring escape to New York and then to Philadelphia at age sixteen, where he sought work as a printer. A European procurement mission fell through when he was abandoned upon disembarking, yet his resilience saw him purchase his own passage back to Philadelphia in 1732 and launch his own printing house.
Franklin’s civic ascent was swift: clerk of the Pennsylvania Assembly (1736), Postmaster (1737), and publisher of the wildly popular Poor Richard’s Almanac (1741). He served in the Pennsylvania Assembly (1751) and acted as a colonial agent to England, France, and other European powers. Elected to the Continental Congress in 1775, he helped steer the rebellion against Great Britain, editing the Declaration of Independence alongside Thomas Jefferson. Later, as the United States’ first Postmaster General, Minister to France, treaty negotiator, and signatory of the peace treaty with Britain, Franklin embodied the spirit of diplomacy. A staunch abolitionist and advocate for Native American rights, he died on April 17, 1790, still celebrated as one of America’s most revered figures.
3 Socrates
Renowned as the architect of the Socratic method, Socrates earned his fame as a social and judicial philosopher whose dialogues and logical counter‑arguments made him a household name across Greece. Born to a sculptor and mason in Athens, he initially followed his father’s trade before turning his focus toward intellectual pursuits, immersing himself in the teachings of contemporaries like Plato and Xenophon.
Socrates claimed an inner divine voice guided his moral compass, warning him when he strayed from truth and justice. He famously asserted that the wisest individuals were, in fact, those aware of their own ignorance—a paradox that positioned him as the most enlightened of all. This humility, he argued, was the true path to wisdom.
His relentless questioning unsettled many Athenians, who accused him of corrupting youth and subverting state values. In his famed “Apology,” Socrates demonstrated his method: by probing the government’s assumptions about youth, he revealed logical gaps, showcasing how disciplined inquiry could dismantle flawed policies. Though his ideas sparked controversy, they laid the groundwork for Western philosophy, cementing his legacy as a peaceful provocateur of thought.
4 Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr., arrived on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia, into a family steeped in Baptist ministry. An eloquent preacher himself, King steered America’s civil‑rights movement from the mid‑1950s until his tragic assassination in 1968, championing non‑violent resistance and earning the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize.
His lineage included a grandfather who was a Baptist preacher and a father who pastored Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church. King earned a Bachelor of Divinity from Crozer Theological Seminary (1951) and a Ph.D. from Boston University (1955). While at seminary, he encountered Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy, later reinforcing his commitment to non‑violent protest during a 1959 trip to India.
King’s leadership shone during the Montgomery bus boycott, where he and ninety others faced arrest for defying segregation laws. Though convicted, they appealed, and the boycott’s success vaulted King to national prominence. His 1963 “Letter from Birmingham Jail” galvanized the civil‑rights cause, while his iconic 1963 “I Have a Dream” speech during the March on Washington cemented his legacy. Tragically, on April 4, 1968, he was assassinated while standing on the Lorraine Motel balcony in Memphis, Tennessee, at age 39, just as he was expanding his focus to aid the nation’s impoverished.
5 Dalai Lama
According to his official biography, the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, serves both as Tibet’s head of state and its spiritual guide. Born on July 6, 1935, in the modest hamlet of Taktser, Amdo, northeastern Tibet, he hailed from a farming family. At age two, he was recognized as the reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama, Thubten Gyatso, taking the name Lhamo Dhondup.
The Dalai Lamas are believed to be manifestations of Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, who postpones personal nirvana to aid humanity. Throughout his life, the 14th Dalai Lama has championed compassion, non‑violence, and the preservation of Tibetan culture, earning worldwide respect as a beacon of peaceful leadership.
6 Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela entered the world in a modest South African village, the son of a chief and his third wife. As the first in his family to receive a Western education, he pursued law after witnessing the democratic principles of tribal governance. Mandela quickly rose as a formidable lawyer in Johannesburg, defending black South Africans against the apartheid regime, and became a central figure in the African National Congress (ANC), which sought to unite Africans and reclaim their freedoms.
His activism—boycotts, protests, and mobilization—earned him the label of “enemy of the state.” He faced treason charges, a political ban, disbarment, and a life‑long prison sentence, spending 27 years behind bars. His incarceration spotlighted South Africa’s racial injustices, spurring a global “Free Nelson Mandela” campaign.
Released in 1990 at age 72, Mandela was elected South Africa’s first black president in 1994. Though he retired from politics in 1999, he continued to champion causes such as AIDS awareness, poverty alleviation, and human rights. He also played a pivotal role in securing the 2010 Soccer World Cup for South Africa. Mandela’s legacy, crowned with the Nobel Peace Prize, epitomizes the indomitable human spirit’s capacity to triumph over adversity.
7 Mahatma Gandhi
Born Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi on October 2, 1869, in Porbandar, Kathiawar, India, he pursued legal studies in London before relocating to South Africa in 1893. There, he spent two decades confronting discriminatory laws targeting Indians, pioneering the philosophy of Satyagraha—resistance through mass non‑violent civil disobedience.
Returning to India in 1914, Gandhi aligned with the Home Rule movement and soon led the Indian National Congress, advocating non‑violent non‑cooperation to secure independence. He championed the rights of poor farmers and laborers, confronting oppressive taxation and caste discrimination, while striving for self‑rule.
His civil disobedience campaigns—including the 1919‑22 protests and the iconic 1930 Salt March—resulted in multiple imprisonments. He participated in the 1931 London Round Table Conference and the 1946 Cabinet Mission, shaping India’s constitutional future. After independence in 1947, Gandhi worked tirelessly to quell Hindu‑Muslim strife, a mission that ultimately led to his assassination in 1948 by Nathuram Godse.
Gandhi’s dedication to non‑violence, simple living—making his own clothes, vegetarianism, and fasting for both purification and protest—continues to inspire oppressed peoples worldwide.
8 Buddha
Born in the sixth century B.C. into royalty, Siddhartha Gautama’s early life was marked by privilege. However, encounters with suffering beyond palace walls propelled him toward a quest for deeper meaning. Through rigorous meditation, he attained Enlightenment and became known as the Buddha, meaning “the Enlightened One.”
For the remainder of his life, the Buddha traversed vast regions, imparting a path to salvation that emphasized personal insight over ritualistic priesthood. His teachings emerged during a period when Hinduism’s priestly class dominated spiritual life, offering the masses a more accessible route to spiritual fulfillment.
Even after his death, his disciples spread Buddhism far and wide, establishing it as a major world religion that continues to guide millions toward inner peace and compassion.
9 Confucius
Master Kong Qiu, better known as Confucius, lived from 551 to 479 B.C. and stands as the most influential philosopher in Eastern history. He championed ethics and politics contemporaneously with the Greeks, arguing that true governance arises from moral virtue rather than coercion or bribery.
In his Analects, Confucius posited that the best government rules through rites and the innate morality of the people, echoing democratic ideals that the Greeks later formalized. He advocated for a balanced ruler—one who respects his subjects, earns their respect, and remains open to correction. He also articulated a version of the Golden Rule, urging individuals not only to refrain from harming others but actively to promote others’ well‑being, a principle shared only with figures like Jesus Christ.
10 Jesus Christ
I rank Jesus Christ at the summit because his influence eclipses that of any other figure on this list, boasting the largest global following of any religious tradition. As the founder of Christianity, his teachings reshaped Europe and much of the world. While scholars debate the precise details of his life, most concur that he was a Galilean Jew, a teacher and healer, baptized by John the Baptist, and ultimately crucified in Jerusalem under Roman prefect Pontius Pilate for alleged sedition.
Although the New Testament records his proclamation, “I did not come to bring peace, but a sword” (Matthew 10:34), his broader message emphasized love, forgiveness, and inner transformation—principles that have inspired countless movements for peace and justice throughout the centuries.
Why These Ten Are the Most Peaceful
Each of these ten men devoted their lives to principles that transcend violence: compassion, dialogue, moral courage, and the relentless pursuit of universal harmony. Their legacies remind us that true power lies not in the might of armies, but in the strength of ideas that champion peace.