Great Man Theory
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Great Man Theory Eventful or event-making?
The Great Man Theory was a belief that highly influential individuals who, due to either their personal charisma, intelligence, wisdom, or Machiavellianism utilized their power in a way that had a decisive historical impact.
Pro:
Thomas Carlyle commented that "The history of the world is but the biography of great men,"1 reflecting his belief that heroes shape history through both their personal attributes and divine inspiration. Carlyle argues that heroes shape history through the vision of their intellect, the beauty of their art, the prowess of their leadership, and, most important, their divine inspiration.
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Con:
One of the most vitriolic critics of Carlyle's formulation of the Great Man theory was Herbert Spencer, who believed that attributing historical events to the decisions of individuals was a hopelessly primitive, childish, and unscientific position. He believed that the men Carlyle called "great men" were merely products of their social environment.
You must admit that the genesis of a great man depends on the long series of complex influences which has produced the race in which he appears, and the social state into which that race has slowly grown....Before he can remake his society, his society must make him.2
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As a group, look at the list (or come up with your own). Form an argument for or against one of the personalities being a great man.
1Carlyle, Thomas. On Heroes, Hero-Worship and the Heroic in History, Fredrick A. Stokes & Brother, New York, 1888. p. 2.
2 Spencer, Herbert. The Study of Sociology, Appleton, 1896, p. 34.