One recurring point of discussion is that of cause and effect. What are the major factors driving historical change? Recently historians have tended to focus on social issues. And there is also important research being conducted on groups and movements that have otherwise been marginalised--in politics, society, or the historical record. Another approach worth considering, and indeed one that has exerted influence in the past, is that put forward by MacKinder in his book, the Geographical Pivot of History. See below for a relevant extract from page 422.
