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A revolution is a drastic change that usually occurs in a relatively short period of time. Variously defined revolutions have been happening throughout human history. They vary in terms of numbers of their participants (revolutionaries), means employed by them, duration, ideology and many other aspects. They may result in a socio-political change in the socio-political institutions, or a major change in a culture or economy. The word revolution derives from Late Latin revolutio and means "a turn around."
Ethymology The word derives from Late Latin revolutio "a revolving," from Latin revolvere "turn, roll back". It entered English, from Old French révolution, in 1390, originally only applied to celestial bodies. Only circa 1450 was it being used to mean " aninstance of great change in affairs"; the presently dominant political meaning is first recorded 1600, again following French, and was especially applied to the expulsion of the Stuart king James II of England in 1688 and transfer of sovereignty in Britain to William III and Mary. Revolutionary as a noun is first attested 1850, from the adjective. Study of revolutions Revolutions have been studied by many social scientists, particularly sociologists, political scientists and historians. Among the leading scholars in that area is Theda Skocpol and Charles Tilly. Political and socioeconomic revolutions Perhaps most often, the world 'revolution' is employed to denote a socio-political change in the socio-political institutions. Jeff Goodwin gives two definitions of a revolution. Broader, where revolution is 'any and all instances in which a state or a political regime is overthrown and therby transformed by a popular movement in an irregular, extraconstitutional and/or violent fashion'; and narrower, in which 'revolutions entail not only mass mobilization and regime change, but also more or less rapid and fundamental social, economic and/or cultural change, during or soon after the struggle for state power'. See list of revolutions and rebellions for a list of such revolutions. Cultural, intellectual and philosophical revolutions Technological revolutions These usually lead to transformations in society, culture and philosophy. See also | ||||||||
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