The Role of the Individual in History Book Summary

In 'The Role of the Individual in History', Georgi Plekhanov explores the intricate relationship between individual actions and historical events. Challenging the notion that great figures alone shape history, he argues that the context of social and economic conditions plays a pivotal role. Through a blend of philosophy and historical analysis, Plekhanov reveals how individual contributions are often intertwined with broader societal forces. The book stimulates critical thought about the balance of agency versus determinism in shaping our past. Readers will be left pondering who truly drives history: the individual or the collective?

By Georgi Valentinovich Plekhanov

Published: 2003

"The individual is not merely a pawn in the grand game of history; rather, each person plays a vital role in the creation of their own destiny and the unfolding of societal change."

Book Review of The Role of the Individual in History

The Role of the Individual in History was first published in 1898, and occupies a very prominent place among those of Plekhanov's works in which he substantiates and defends Marxism and advocates the Marxian theory of social development. Georgi Valentinovich Plekhanov (1856-1918) was one of the leaders of Russian populism and after his emigration to Western Europe in 1880 became the foremost Russian Marxist abroad. He founded in 1883, together with Pavel Axelrod, the 'Group for the Liberation of Labor', the first Russian social democratic party, and in 1900 together with Lenin the 'Iskra', the first Russian Marxist newspaper, but a few years later broke with Lenin and sided with the Mensheviks.

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The individual is not merely a pawn in the grand game of history; rather, each person plays a vital role in the creation of their own destiny and the unfolding of societal change.

The Role of the Individual in History

By Georgi Valentinovich Plekhanov