Sunday, October 14, 2007

Revolution

In order for a Revolution to occur it takes more then just one aspect of life to cause a big enough change. However, the most causative piece of PERSIA in revolution is Society. Society is, according to dictionary.com, "an organized group of persons associated together for religious, benevolent, cultural, scientific, political, patriotic, or other purposes." Therefore most all other aspects of PERSIA (politics, economics, religion, intellect, and aesthetics) fall in some way under Society, until as the cause for revolution behind society grows, these other aspects blow up into their own causes.

In the Middle Ages practically every person was Catholic. Society was based around Catholicism. People went to church together, and all had the same ideas about getting to heaven and what that meant for them. As the Renaissance started coming in things began to slowly change. Tim Parks in Medici Money expresses how the people began getting upset with how some of the Church men were dealing with society. How some church officials were said to have disregard their vows of chastity, or commit such sins as usury, when they were quick to punish lay men for such offenses. Perhaps it was not how church men were dealing with society, but the fact that they were in it so much that was upsetting. The problems that people and some clergy and officials of the Church had with the mistakes of other church officials and popes grew, until this piece of society exploded into it's own piece of the cause of revolution.

Social classes in society play a part in bringing about revolution. Jacques Barzun in From Dawn to Decadence, explains how in France there were two types of people, peasants and nobles. Eventually artisans and merchants were able to make more money and rise above the peasants, but because of the way of society, they could not rise into a very high social standing, even if they were more rich then all the nobles around, because they were not born into the title. Tim Parks also demonstrates the separation of class when he writes about how there were regulations on what people who were plebs could and could not wear, and even eat. Eventually such obvious separation of classes and regulations on the lower class becomes infuriating, for the plebs, and/or those who feel as though they are more fit to be in high noble classes but can't get there. These things will lead to another cause for revolt, leading to possible revolution.

When societies values are changing and the government, whatever type it may be, or a large amount of the population, is not going with these changes, it causes friction, and quite possibly revolution. In the American Revolution the people of America were tired of the way the king in England was not treating them how they wanted. The were tired of the excessive taxes, tired of not having the representation they wanted, tired of trade regulations, and were becoming more interested in more liberal, democratic and republic ideas. England was not compromising and neither were the Americans. Result? Revolution. In the French Revolution the low classes of France wanted change. For years the poor and middle class had wanted change and they didn't seem to be getting it from the nobles and the King, and then by the time they had a few nobles on their side pushing for them it was too late. They had gotten to the point where it was all or nothing, some change wasn't going to satisfy them, they wanted liberty, and they would kill for it. Result? Revolution. In the time of Medici Money, the values of people were changing. The people were becoming frustrated with funding all the petty wars going on, and as Humanism flowed in people's attachment to the church, though still rather strong, began to change, and art changed. The Church and the governing system were not quite ready for this, and clashes rose up. Result? Revolution. In Germany, Martin Luther's religious values were changing. He brought out completely different ideas about religion, one being "Solo Fidelis," by faith alone, another being "Solo Scriptora," by script alone, meaning only the Bible has authority. Needless to say the Church wasn't impressed, but Luther wouldn't change, and he gathered followers. Result? Well, Revolution of course.

There is no one cause for revolution. Revolution needs causes from multiple aspects of PERSIA to take place. When friction starts to happen in more than one aspect, that is when the beginning of a revolution is formed. When analyzing revolution to find the most causative part of PERSIA in revolution, Society is the root. The other parts of PERSIA are important because of society, because of how they affect the way people live and interact with each other, which is society. From within society each other aspect of PERSIA grows until it explodes into its own huge cause for revolution, but unless the other parts affect society, they will not bring about a revolution.

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