"Demagogues, Shepherds and Heroes" is a book about the origin and genesis of elites in human society. The author presents his view on the nature of social inequality in historical retrospect. The book examines in stages the main milestones of the transformation of society - from primitive democracy to modern society with a complex social hierarchy. The book develops and reworks the theses presented by the author in previous publications. This work is intended primarily for those who are interested in sociology, philosophy of history, cultural studies and politics.