A revolution (from the Latin revolutio, "a turn around") is a fundamental change in power or organizational structures that takes place in a relatively short period of time. Aristotle described two types of political revolution:
- Complete change from one constitution to another
- Modification of an existing constitution.
Revolutions have occurred through human history and vary widely in terms of methods, duration, and motivating ideology. Their results include major changes in culture, economy, and socio-political institutions.
Scholarly debates about what does and does not constitute a revolution center around several issues. Early studies of revolutions primarily analyzed events in European history from a psychological perspective, but more modern examinations include global events and incorporate perspectives from several social sciences, including sociology and political science. Several generations of scholarly thought on revolutions have generated many competing theories and contributed much to the current understanding of this complex phenomenon.
Read more about Revolution: Types, Political and Socioeconomic Revolutions, Etymology
Famous quotes containing the word revolution:
“The revolution as we call it is not necessarily an uprising in the streets or the old business of seizing power. Though the Left has always imagined it was. The revolution is change. Not merely rearrangement, but a deep emotional type of transformation that must also take place inside us. It’s a better way to live.”
—Kate Millett (b. 1934)
“Every revolution was first a thought in one man’s mind, and when the same thought occurs in another man, it is the key to that era.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“History in the making is a very uncertain thing. It might be better to wait till the South American republic has got through with its twenty-fifth revolution before reading much about it. When it is over, some one whose business it is, will be sure to give you in a digested form all that it concerns you to know, and save you trouble, confusion, and time. If you will follow this plan, you will be surprised to find how new and fresh your interest in what you read will become.”
—Anna C. Brackett (1836–1911)