What is the difference between evolutionary and revolutionary development? These concepts in the social and political sense are considered as absolutely antagonistic. The word “evolution” is associated with gradual and continuous development, while the revolution is associated with drastic changes in the life of society, sometimes accompanied by very radical means. Some call the revolution accelerated evolution, then, in principle, it is one and the same. Humanity, on the one hand, has a tendency to believe in the rationality of gradual development, on the other hand, people are used to reckoning with the opinion of the need for periodic upheavals that can quickly change the situation in society.
Change: evolution or revolution?
Mao Tse-tung claimed that political power was growing out of the barrel of a rifle. The development of the revolutionary movement often takes place where control over the situation is lost. The process is usually led by one person surrounded by a small group of trusted like-minded people. The process of change itself becomes dependent on the individual. As for evolutionary change, the leader must take the course of change before the more radical leader makes it. Which method of change is correct? Despite the fact that most people intuitively prefer the evolutionary path, it is not always advisable.
The relationship of two opposing concepts
What is the difference between evolutionary and revolutionary development? The behavior of people is determined primarily by past events and experiences, and not by what lies ahead. Expanding this thesis with problems of organizational development, we can distinguish a number of development phases, each of which begins with a period of development, steady growth and stability, and ends with a revolutionary period of significant organizational upheaval and change. The extent to which the revolutionary period was expedient determines whether humanity will move forward in its next stage of evolutionary growth and development.
Considering in detail the topic of what distinguishes evolutionary and revolutionary development, it is generally accepted that evolution is a common path of progress on the physical, mental and spiritual level in the universal framework of time and space. However, some changes in the history of mankind were truly revolutionary, despite the fact that they were transitional and gradual. In this regard, it can be assumed that a revolution can occur in the process of evolution, and it will simply be seen as an acceleration of the process, considered a giant leap forward.
Evolution
Culture and society developed from simple to complex, from wildness through barbarism to civilization. A concept such as progress has become an integral part of evolution. What is the evolutionary nature of the development of society? In organic development, which includes a number of concomitant changes in a certain direction. Evolution is a sequence of interconnected phenomena aimed at transformation. This is a process of continuous transition from a lower level to a higher and more complex one as a person gradually increases his control over the environment.
Revolution
The revolutionary theory of development is manifested in a sudden, radical or complete change, a basic reorientation and reorganization. This is a fundamental change in a political organization or government, a renunciation of the constitution, or an unplanned overthrow of one ruler by another. A revolution may involve both violent and non-violent acts.
These are profound qualitative changes in the development of various phenomena of nature, society or knowledge. When answering the question of what distinguishes evolutionary and revolutionary development, it is important to note that this is a sharp interruption of gradual development, with a radical breakdown of everything old. As history shows, such leaps often lead to a slowdown in development.
What is the evolutionary nature of the development of society?
From the point of view of anthropologists and other scholars, culture as a whole develops in a uniform and progressive manner. Evolutionists, relying on Darwin's theory of evolution and natural selection, sought to track the evolution of culture over time. It was believed that most societies go through a certain series of stages of development. What is the nature of evolutionary development expressed in? One of the schemes proposed by the philosopher Montesquieu in the 18th century consisted of three stages: hunting (wildness), shepherding (barbarism) and civilization. The division into evolutionary stages, from primitive to civilized, is fundamental to the new ideas of nineteenth-century social evolutionists.
Evolution theory
Based on Darwin's theory and cultural, historical, and archaeological evidence, social evolutionary theorists created competing patterns of overall social and cultural progress, and they also explained the origins of various institutions. This includes religion, marriage, and family. Summing up all of the above, we can say that the evolutionary development of society is a change through the gradual adjustment of the existing system, in contrast to revolutionary measures, with the help of which a complete or partial replacement of the existing order takes place.