Neil Armstrong: A Hero Or A Hero?

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History is undeniably an important instrument within society, evoking the human thought process into considering why the world is the way it is, while simultaneously giving the opportunity to learn from the past in a bid to create a brighter future, often debated, however, is the role of the individual within society. During the 19th century, The Great Man Theory was largely popularised, however, today has evolved into Trait Leadership. The underlying thought of this philosophy suggests that individual people, driven by vision, intelligence and determination inspire civilisations, thus creating history. Countering this thought process, The Causality Theory, predominantly influential throughout the 20th century, proposes historical events are …show more content…
One man who is often regarded not only as great, but as a hero is Neil Armstrong, or the first man to walk on the moon. At first glance, Armstrong fits the criteria of The Great Man Theory as he exemplified courage, determination and tested the bounds of human ingenuity. On closer analysis, however, it becomes clear that the momentous occasion that made Neil Armstrong a household name was not due to his strength of character alone, but rather the collective strength 420 000 people (McLaughli, 1999), spearheaded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Nor was it Armstrong’s vision that led man to the moon, as it was inspired as propaganda to promote hegemony in the ideology of Capitalism. It is clear that while Armstrong was a driven, brave and modest man, the moon landing would’ve been a famous event regardless of whose boot touched the moon first. Therefore, this society shaping event was not propelled by him, the individual, but a multiplicity of forces, including other scientists and the bi-polar nature of the world, indicating that Neil Armstrong could not have re-made society without the many complex influences which fuelled the moon …show more content…
Commander of Apollo 11, Neil Armstrong, is often solely attributed with the success of the moon landing, however, this event only occurred due to the bi-polar nature of the world during the 1960’s. Although the beginning date of the conflict between America and the Soviet Union is contentious, there is no doubt that by the 60s the world was engulfed by these clashing ideologies, similarly, there is no doubt that the Cold War was decisive in space exploration (Godwin, 2006). In 1955, William Hearst Jr, editor-in-chief at Hearst Newspapers, commented on the rivalry between the two ideologies and foreshadowed the space race in a telegram sent to the White House. “They [communists] want to confine struggle measures short of war. That is meaning of competitive co-existence…. We should prepare for it with program of initiative and enterprise” (cited in McDougall, 1985, pg. 20). The truth of this telegram was put into perspective when the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, the first satellite to orbit the earth. This event sent the United States into hysteria, as Russia beat them to space, contradicting Capitalism’s claimed supremacy of science and technology. In response to this, America increased funding in research and education, leading to the formation of agencies such as NASA (Goldstone, 2008, pg. 561). Not only did the Cold War
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