Thomas Carlyle and the Great Men Theory of History

The Great Man Theory was a popular 19th-century idea according to which history can be largely explained by the impact of "great men", or heroes. The Great Man Theory is associated with Thomas Carlyle, an English historian of the Romanticist School. His important works are:

• The French Revolution
• On Heroes, Hero Worship and Heroic in History
• History of Frederick the Great

In his work, On Heroes, Hero Worship and Heroic in History (published in 1841), he put forward the ‘Great Man Theory’ to define history. Thomas Carlyle says that ‘history is nothing but the biography of great men’, and that it is a record of human accomplishment, particularly of great souls’. He believed that heroes shape history through both their personal attributes and divine inspiration. He gave great importance to individuals as decisive players in history. He also felt that the study of great men was "profitable". What history requires according to Carlyle are geniuses and not masses. According to his theory, all major developments of human history are accounted for by the ‘Great Man’.

Human progress is regarded as being primarily due to the work of geniuses who appear in the world from time to time. He argued that “in all epochs of the world’s history, we shall find the Great Man to have been the indispensable savior of his epoch”. In the words of Carl G. Gustavson, ‘they have been able to master the circumstances of their times and re-mould them according to their own ideas’. This heroic view of history was also strongly endorsed by some philosophical figures such as Hegel, Nietzsche, and Spengler. In Untimely Meditations, Nietzsche wrote that: "...the goal of humanity lies in its highest specimens."

Sidney Hook divides heroes of history into two broad categories, viz Eventful Men and Event Making Men. The former owe their importance to the positions they hold and happen to be at the centre of historic events. On the other hand, Event Making Men convert society to their way. They gain control of the situation and drive society in the direction of their decision. Personal ambition, motivation, and exertion of the great men serve as the source of energy that brings about the desired change. Individuals get into the limelight and leadership positions through dynastic or family inheritance, influence of their ideas, organizational and institutional selection. They may bring about change either through positive means or through negative ways.

Criticism

One of the most hurtful 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. He argued that the actions of such great men would be impossible without the social conditions built before their lifetime.

Conclusion

The role played by historic heroes cannot be minimized. They may serve as the force or spirit of the age. They may take hold of society, convert it to their conviction and decide its destiny. The heroes should have influenced and shaped the course of events instead of merely spokesmen of history. All great men of history have attracted the attention of their contemporaries and whose memory is preserved by historians. They have influenced the world to vary degrees. In short, besides other arguments, the role of individuals in history is significant.