<P> The great man theory is a 19th - century idea according to which history can be largely explained by the impact of great men , or heroes ; highly influential individuals who , due to either their personal charisma , intelligence , wisdom , or political skill used their power in a way that had a decisive historical impact . The theory was popularized in the 1840s by Scottish writer Thomas Carlyle , but in 1860 Herbert Spencer formulated a counter-argument that has remained influential throughout the 20th century to the present : Spencer said that such great men are the products of their societies , and that their actions would be impossible without the social conditions built before their lifetimes . </P>
<P> The great man theory is a 19th - century idea according to which history can be largely explained by the impact of great men , or heroes ; highly influential individuals who , due to either their personal charisma , intelligence , wisdom , or political skill used their power in a way that had a decisive historical impact . The theory was popularized in the 1840s by Scottish writer Thomas Carlyle , but in 1860 Herbert Spencer formulated a counter-argument that has remained influential throughout the 20th century to the present : Spencer said that such great men are the products of their societies , and that their actions would be impossible without the social conditions built before their lifetimes . </P>
who came up with the great man theory
who came up with the great man theory
Thomas Carlyle
Thomas Carlyle