great man theory

Cultural  

1. An approach to history associated with the nineteenth-century Scottish historian Thomas Carlyle, who declared, “The history of the world is but the biography of great men.” Carlyle argued 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.

---

Discover More

Carlyle's theories have generally fallen out of fashion.

Example Sentences

For far too long, American history has operated under the Great Man theory, which posits that brave individuals who beat back haters and doubters accomplish great things, not the masses.

From Los Angeles Times

And I want to make one other point, because this is the current Great Man Theory of politics.

From Slate

No. Despite our fascination with the Great Man theory of American lawmaking, the presidency is an office that largely turns on superb staffing, visionary planning, deft political negotiation, and artful execution.

From Slate

In “War and Peace,” Tolstoy writes at length, almost obsessively, about how the “great man” theory of history is mostly a crock; so-called leaders are often just riding the waves of larger public sentiments and movements.

From Salon

Where once there was robust, enduring debate about the so-called Great Man Theory of History — from Thomas Carlyle to Herbert Spencer to William James, with bows along the way to Hegel, Nietzsche and Jacob Burckhardt — today there is nary a word to such effect.

From Salon