Great Man or Great Tyrant
Great Man Theory has had a profound impact on the world we live in today. The Great Man theory was championed by Thomas Carlyle, a historian and philosopher from the Scottish lowlands, who popularized the theory in the 19th century. There are two parts to Great Man theory that I will be discussing. I want to disclaim here that I am not an expert, but this comes from what I have encountered as a person interested in history, storytelling, and the freedom of lower and middle-class people.
The first part of the theory is the practical side of it. The theory posits that there are some people who are naturally born leaders who have the charisma and intelligence to be true leaders. Earlier models of the theory posit that the person was sent by god to lead, but more modern telling avoids tying it to religion as a factor. I do not like this idea of leadership or personhood as I think it leads to bio-essentialism and can lead people to believe that they should stay in their place. I like to think that leadership, like anything, is a learned behavior that can be fostered in anyone. I believe that the closest theory that aligns with my views on leadership would be Behavioral theory, but from what I have read, it still leans into the natural talents angle that I prefer to ignore even if it is a factor because natural talents in my experience fade or may hinder the person improvement.
The second part is the historical side. For some time, the Great Man theory has also structured the way we view history. The idea is that Great Men are the ones who charter the course of history they guide the unruly masses. This type of thinking excludes the complexity of history and values the opinions of the ruling class over those of the people. Yes, this style of historiography is easy to follow and can grant insights into the person, but in my opinion, we sacrifice a broader view and deeper understanding by doing so. The people become a walking mass of prerendered NPCs that all talk the same, think the same, and worship the same when that is not the case. I am not saying that we need an in-depth biography of every person that was ever recorded. What I am saying is that the people ruled were not mindless sheep to be ruled over, but rather, they also determined the future. Social theory is a different histography practice that I prefer because it focuses on social structures and group actions. This gives power to all people in history, not just those who ruled.
I get it. It is easier just to think you are following because the person has made themselves your leader. That history is determined by one man's actions. But the truth of the matter is that we choose our leaders by allowing them to lead us. History is not about one great man taking charge and commanding the senseless masses to enlightenment, but it is about people deciding that these are the things we are ok with. This is the great tool of oppression. The control of choice. Either they will give you the illusion of a choice or the illusion that there is no choice. They will offer you things again and again, and only when it is too late will you realize it was nothing that you really wanted. They will convince you that you must make this a choice between two when, in fact, it is an infinite choice. And they will offer you non choice: work or homelessness, death or poverty, complacency or war. There was no one who chose enslavement or death. They were convinced by the people who told them that they were great men and that those were their choices.
You have a choice not between two parties, products, or lifestyles but a choice in what you do in who you are. Mailmen, cashiers, sectaries, soldiers, writers, plumbers, piolets, construction workers, you all have the power right now to choose you are how much work you do and what that work is for, you choose what you create and support, you choose who your leaders are and who you give power to. And I don’t mean through their systems but through your own self-direction. You chose what has power over you. You need to make those decisions because if you don’t someone will make it for you.
Thanks for reading this today. Most of my information came from a light reading of Bert Alan Spector’s article titled Carlyle, Freud, and the Great Man Theory more fully considered, Britannica’s article on Social history (link). This is an opinion piece. Please do your own research on this topic and come to your own conclusions. I will not be releasing a chapter next week. I have not made the progress that I wanted to. I am hoping I will have time to do so soon, but I promise that I will rededicate myself to the work. Thank you for reading. Please stay tuned for next week.