ABSTRACT
Interpretations will vary according to the degree of importance given to the role of the individual in history. This, in turn, will depend on the purpose, scope and context of the writing involved. Any analysis will involve some consideration of the influence of the individual and of other factors – but the balance between the two is the critical factor. By and large, the emphasis will tend to polarise towards either the individual being predominantly the direct agent of change or the individual being the indirect agent.
