Claim: The surest indicator of a great nation must be the achievements of its rulers, artists, or scientists. Reason: Great achievements by a nation's rulers, artists, or scientists will ensure a good life for the majority of that nation's people.

Although the achievements of scientists have led to cures, arts elevated the peoples’ taste in their life, or rulers with the providing freedom enhanced the life for the people, none of the things above cannot guarantee a good life for the majority of that nations’ people. Even if they do, still a nation cannot be named as a great one because of the good life provided for its people, because such good life might be gained through inhuman ways.

To begin with, Rulers, artists, or scientists constitute a small fraction of societies, although working together they can provide a good life for people, but history also attests otherwise. Genghis was one of the greatest conquerors who brought the vast geographical area under the hegemony of Mughals for centuries. During his time, terror was vastly dominant in nations and it was one of the most suffering nation. Another example would be Leonardo da Vinci, who both as a great artist and scientist with its contributions could not make the people’s life of middle age better.

Furthermore, there were times that the achievements of a society were abused to keep the people in the misery and poverty. In Soviet Union countries, the propaganda were issued by the politicians to cover the collapsing communism system; by showing the achievements of the scientists, artist and politic successes, the Soviet Union tried to distract people from the hunger and poverty they were embroiled in, and the achievements worked for the Soviet Union as a fallacious saving grace. Thereby, the Soviet Union also cannot be a great nation

Finally, even if the people are having a good life provided by the achievements of rulers, scientists, and artists, it may not be deserved to call as a great nation. Consider the Roman Empire, which offers welfare to the people and also the achievement of rulers were also great in that time. Yet, the Roman nation in that time cannot be named as a great nation because of slavery. The human rights were downtrodden by the Romans who used slaves in order to toil, without observing their basic human rights. Moreover, Consider the England Empire. Such a big territory and many of achievements belonged to the England Empire, but at the same time this country were colonizing other countries to the point of their starvation to overfeed their citizens. Thus, the England Empire is ruled out to be a great nation.

In short, as discussed, without any doubt, the achievements of rulers, artists, and scientists of a society have their own merits for the society. However, it cannot guarantee that people are having a good life in their society. And even if the people live happily in their nation, it does not signify that the nation is deserved to name a great one.