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.

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Carlyle's theories have generally fallen out of fashion.

Example Sentences

The first historians largely concerned themselves with the study of wars and rulers, in accordance with the great man theory of history that credits leaders and heroes with triggering history’s pivotal events.

From Textbooks • Apr. 19, 2023

Challenges to the so-called great man theory of history redirect attention from those who made decisions to those who experienced their consequences.

From New York Times • Mar. 30, 2021

Sure, it’s great, but all those essays about the great man theory of history are no one’s idea of a good time.

From Slate • May 22, 2020

There is no great man theory that can be applied to general managers.

From Washington Post • Apr. 20, 2020

The "great man theory" of history, at best less crudely stated, thus reappears; in short, to the initial thesis we have now the distinct antithesis.

From Civics: as Applied Sociology by Geddes, Patrick