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Great man theory

The great man theory is an approach to the study of history popularised in the 19th century according to which history can be largely explained by the impact of great men, or heroes: highly influential and unique individuals who, due to their natural attributes, such as superior intellect, heroic courage, extraordinary leadership abilities, or divine inspiration, have a decisive historical effect. The theory is primarily attributed to the Scottish essayist, historian, and philosopher Thomas Carlyle, who gave a series of lectures on heroism in 1840, later published as On Heroes, Hero-Worship, & the Heroic in History, in which he states:

"Great Man" redirects here. For other uses, see Great Man (disambiguation).

This theory is usually contrasted with "history from below", which emphasizes the life of the masses creating overwhelming waves of smaller events which carry leaders along with them. Another contrasting school is historical materialism.

Bentley, Eric (1944). (Second, revised and reset ed.). Boston: Beacon Press (published 1957).

A Century of Hero-Worship: A study of the idea of heroism in Carlyle and Nietzsche, with notes on Wagner, Spengler, Stefan George, and D.H. Lawrence

Harrold, Charles Frederick (1934). . Carlyle and German Thought, 1819–1834. New Haven: Yale University Press. pp. 180–196.

"Carlyle and Heroes"

Lehman, B. H. (1928). . Durham, N.C.: Duke University Press. hdl:2027/mdp.39015008382213.

Carlyle's Theory of the Hero: Its Sources, Development, History, and Influence on Carlyle's Work

by Peter Dizikes, from The New York Times, November 5, 2006. "Do changes in science mean the traditional great-man science biography is going the way of the dodo?"

"Twilight of the Idols"