First, people are the creators of history.

The masses of the people refer to all people who promote social and historical development and are the majority of social members. The masses of the people are a historical category, and manual workers engaged in the production of material wealth and mental workers (intellectuals) engaged in the production of spiritual wealth have always been the main body of the masses of the people.

Marxism holds that people are the decisive force in creating social history.

(A) the opposition between the two historical views on the issue of historical creators

Historical materialism starts from the fact that social existence determines social consciousness, adheres to the mass historical view, and holds that the people are the creators of history.

The idealistic historical view starts from the fact that social consciousness determines social existence, adheres to the heroic historical view, and holds that a few heroes are the creators of history.

(2) Realistic people and their activities are the prerequisite for the existence and development of social history.

Realistic people are people who engage in certain practical activities, are in a wide range of social sectors and have initiative. Only when people are regarded as realistic people can we correctly grasp the essence of people and their activities and the relationship between people and social history.

The realistic essence of human beings is the sum of all social relations.

(3) Understand and grasp the historical creators and their activities from the overall connection and specific process of social history.

Historical materialism adheres to the following principles when investigating the problem of historical creators:

First, historical materialism discusses the problem of historical creators based on the overall social and historical process.

Second, historical materialism examines and explains historical creators and their activities from the inevitability of social and historical development.

Third, historical materialism examines the role and nature of human historical activities from different levels of the relationship between man and history.

(d) The decisive role of people in the process of making history

First, people's social practice is the source of social material wealth.

Second, people's social practice is also the source of social spiritual wealth.

Third, people's social practice is the decisive force to realize social change.

People's activities to create history are also restricted by social and historical conditions.

(5) Everything is for the masses, and everything depends on the masses.

The principle of historical materialism that the people are the creators of history is the theoretical basis of the mass viewpoint and mass line of proletarian political parties.

The mass viewpoint includes four basic viewpoints: first, I believe that the masses can liberate their own viewpoints; Second, the idea of serving the people wholeheartedly; Third, all views that are responsible to the people; Fourth, learn from the people with an open mind.

The mass line includes two aspects: that is, the political line and organizational line that all serve the masses and rely on them, that is, the cognitive method and leadership method of coming from the masses and going to the masses.

Adhering to the mass viewpoint and mass line is of great theoretical and practical significance.

Second, the role of individuals in social history.

(a) Social and historical development is the result of the joint efforts of countless individuals.

Although everyone's role in history is different in nature and degree, it will leave a mark on history. Without the role of individuals, there would be no role for the masses.

In Poverty of Philosophy, Marx pointed out that the main figures in each historical stage and event are both "playwrights" and "dramatists" of historical dramas. It can be said that the metaphor of "playwright" and "dramatist" is the most vivid revelation of the historical position and role of all historical figures and political leaders.

(2) Historical figures play a special role in historical development.

Historical figures are the parties to historical events, and they have clearly marked their personal marks in the process of historical development. They are advocates, initiators, organizers and leaders to achieve certain historical tasks.

Historical figures are divided into outstanding figures and negative figures. Outstanding figures, especially outstanding politicians, often stand higher and see farther than ordinary people because of their high quality in knowledge, talent and quality. They can deeply understand the development trend of society, conform to the trend of the times, concentrate the wisdom of the masses, put forward new theories, and organize and lead the masses to struggle for specific historical tasks. So it will have a greater impact on the development of history.

But no matter what kind of historical figures they are, they are bound to be restricted by the objective laws of social development.

(C) from the dialectical unity of inevitability and contingency to understand the historical role of individuals

The appearance of any historical figures, especially outstanding political figures, embodies the unity of inevitability and contingency.

The historical law of "the times make heroes" tells people that historical figures are products under certain historical conditions and are restricted by various inevitable and accidental factors in society.

(D) Evaluation of historical figures must adhere to scientific methods.

To correctly understand and evaluate historical figures, we should adhere to two basic principles, namely, the scientific attitude of historicism and the class analysis method.

The so-called scientific attitude of historicism is to understand and evaluate historical figures in their historical era, rather than demanding the ancients with today's standards of the times.

The so-called class analysis method is to put historical figures into their class, that is, to analyze the class belonging of historical figures in general, and to explain the special character and performance of historical figures in detail through the class relationship in a specific historical stage.