great man theory
a view of political leadership and historical causation that assumes that history is driven by a small number of exceptional individuals (traditionally presumed to be men) with certain innate characteristics that predispose them for greatness. A Zeitgeist (spirit of the times) view of history, in contrast, supposes that history is largely determined by economics, technological development, and a broad spectrum of social influences. [associated with British historian Thomas Carlyle (1795–1881)]