Is the History of the Human Species Any More Napoleon Invading Russia?

Structuralists are trying to change the way we look at history. They argue that people tend to think of themselves as autonomous subjects with free will. What if what it is to be you is a product produced by your culture and time period, they say. This goes hand in hand with the enlightenment era when religious thinking pervaded society. It would be completely impossible for you to ever be an atheist - not because your brain is incapable of grasping the concept that maybe there isn't a god.