Since revolutions usually describe big changes in a society that happen within a relatively short amount of time, it is most interesting to look into the connections between societal revolutions and the evolutional theory of punctuated equilibrium. A look from "above" could lead to a new understanding of both concepts or new ways to handle them. The focus of this text will be the concept of revolutions and how to deal with them, with punctuated equilibrium being the point of comparison.
Revolutions are a societal phenomenon that has been an important factor to societal change for centuries. Few would deny the connection between the French revolution and the spread of democracy in Europe, for example. Today, there are several places and situations in the world that might break out into revolution soon, for example the Hong Kong protests, the recurring strikes in France or simply the fact that many people are unsatisfied with their leaders and their previous actions all across the world, which clearly shows the relevance of revolutions even today.
Content
1. Introduction
2.1. Punctuated equilibrium – a short summary
2.2. Comparison between punctuated equilibrium and revolutions
2.2.1. Human history is mostly static
2.2.2. The influence of climate change
2.2.3. The necessity of adapting or revolting
3. Conclusion
4. Bibliography
1. Introduction
Revolutions are a societal phenomenon that has been an important factor to societal change for centuries. Few would deny the connection between the French revolution and the spread of democracy in Europe, for example. Today, there are several places and situations in the world that might break out into revolution soon, for example the Hong Kong protests, the recurring strikes in France or simply the fact that many people are unsatisfied with their leaders and their previous actions all across the world, which clearly shows the relevance of revolutions even today. This relevance makes it very interesting and, one could argue, important to look at from the perspective of Big History. Since revolutions usually describe big changes in a society that happen within a relatively short amount of time, I believe it would be most interesting to look into the connections between societal revolutions and the evolutional theory of punctuated equilibrium. A look from “above” could lead to a new understanding of both concepts or new ways to handle them. Nonetheless, the focus of this text will be the concept of revolutions and how to deal with them, with punctuated equilibrium being the point of comparison.
Before revolutions can be compared to punctuated equilibrium, which will be done in part 2.2., part 2.1. will first shortly explain what this theory really means. The comparison in 2.2.1. will deal with the more general concepts so part 2.2.2. and 2.2.3. can go into more detail. In the conclusion I will attempt to give some proposals of solutions to the aforementioned situation.
2.1. Punctuated equilibrium – a short summary
In order to compare this theory to the concept of societal revolutions, it must first be clear what this theory entails as this is not common knowledge.
The main point of this theory is that for most of a species' existence, its evolution is mostly a slow but steady process until, at some point, the static species splits up rapidly into two different species in a so-called cladogenesis1. This means that this theory is often a counterpoint to the more generally supported theory of phyletic gradualism, which claims that gradual evolutionary change is always at play at the same speed2. However, that does not mean that evolution within this theory does not take time or that it does not occur at all outside of the previously mentioned bursts of speciation, but simply that evolution processes at different speeds at different times. If a species is forced to adapt, it will evolve much quicker than one that is already adapted to its environment, even though both of them are still evolving3. It was partially developed to explain gaps in the fossil record. Elredge and Gould, the most important authors on this theory, theorized that these gaps are the automatic result of allopatric speciation4. According to them, these gaps appear to exist only because the evolution of a new species happens too rapidly to show up in the fossil record, which means that the breaks in the fossil record are not mistakes but real breaks in the evolution of these species5. It is a fact that around 70% of fossilized species in the fossil record seem to exhibit a form of stasis over much of their existence6.
Similarly to as within regular evolutionary theory, most supporters of punctuated equilibrium believe in allopatric speciation. This is the idea that the formation of new species occurs when a few individuals of a species are isolated and forced to adapt to their new environment7. There are many forms of this theory and others that incorporate it to some degree, but none of those are important for this argument.
2.2. Comparison between punctuated equilibrium and revolutions
2.2.1. Human history is mostly static
Similarly to evolution according to the theory of punctuated equilibrium, revolutions are typically the heralds of enormous changes in society. The fact that we often refer to relatively quick changes with large effects on mankind as “revolutions” just serves to prove that.
Similarly to biological evolution, human development does not occur at the same rate and speed during all of its history. Rather, humans and their society develop very quickly in certain moments or events and then continue on developing at a slower rate again. It is true that influences of everyday politics on world history, individuals and a multitude of wars changed the world, but nonetheless only very few of them had a strong and lasting impact on general human society as much as I would argue many revolutions had. The 100 years war, for example, was an important event in European history, and it undoubtedly contributed to the continuous tensions between England and France8, but it by itself did not change the face of the earth or the way society worked as much as, for example, the scientific revolution did. As such, it is an example for events that helped slowly shape the world, but that did not completely change it as much in as quick of a time as other events did. On the other hand, many events we often tend to consider world-changing are part of a revolution. Isaac Newton, for example, was an important scientist that brought us scientific theories we still use today, but even so he is part of the larger trend of a scientific revolution9.
We use the word “revolution” for all kinds of important phases of drastic change in human history which already feeds into the idea that revolutions are anomalies in an otherwise relatively static human history. While some developments we consider revolutions occur very quickly and sometimes barely take a few days, some of those periods in time do not seem to be as fast as the word “revolution” and the connection I draw to punctuated equilibrium implies. However, it has to be clear that compared to the time of more static development that came before that time, these changes are extremely rapid nonetheless. The Neolithic revolution is likely the most extreme case, as it lasted for several thousand years, but compared to the much longer period of time when humanity did not even attempt the changes that happened during the Neolithic, that time period is extremely small10. The same goes for changes in the pace of biological evolution in punctuated equilibrium, as even here it takes longer than a few generations to fully establish a new species. It might seem like the paces of evolution and revolution do not match up, but that is not the case. Both of them describe periods of rapid change in an otherwise much less changing system and as long as it is clear that being “fast” is relative to the longer periods of time of little change, these two concepts clearly match up.
Similarly to how there is a theory that claims evolution occurs faster when there is more need for change, human society also develops at different speeds depending on the circumstances. A revolution and the creation of a new species drastically change their respective systems, but only occur in relatively short outbursts of drastic change.
2.2.2. The influence of climate change
Most biologists that subscribe to the theory of punctuated equilibrium agree with allopatric speciation. Allopatric speciation describes the formation of new species by separating a small number of individuals from the rest of the species and forcing them to adapt to their new environment and climate11. In the more popular view of evolution, species are constantly adapting to changes in their environment at the same rate, while in punctuated equilibrium they adapt much faster more rarely. Specifically the influence of climate change in this process is very interesting, as its influence is just as strong on social revolutions as it is on biological evolution.
The influence of climate change on evolution via allopatric speciation is quite clear. If allopatric speciation occurs because a small part of the species has to suddenly adapt to a new environment, it is quite possible that they have to do so because of a dramatic change in climate. One very early example for this is the Great Oxygenation Event that occurred before the Cambrian explosion. The sudden change to an oxygen-rich climate in the oceans caused one of the biggest mass-extinctions in the history of this planet but at the same time the few survivors adapted and formed new species12. This example shows that climate change has always been one of the driving factors behind evolution.
Similarly, climate change is also one of the many driving forces behind social revolutions. A change in the climate forces people to adapt to the new situation and causes desperation if not everyone's needs can be met, which can lead to a revolution. One example for this is the French Revolution. Of course the main and most known cause was the desire of ordinary people to have a say in politics and their dissatisfaction with their king, but it is unlikely the villagers and peasants, by far the largest population group in France at the time, would have cared and participated unless they were not driven to hunger and desperation by the previous bad harvests13.
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1 N. Eldredge, S.J. Gould "Punctuated equilibria: an alternative to phyletic gradualism", In T.J.M. Schopf, ed., Models in Paleobiology [San Francisco 1972] p.84
2 N. Eldredge, S.J. Gould "Punctuated equilibria: an alternative to phyletic gradualism", In T.J.M. Schopf, ed., Models in Paleobiology [San Francisco 1972] p.84
3 R. Dawkins The Blind Watchmaker [New York 1996] p. 224-252
4 N. Eldredge, S.J. Gould "Punctuated equilibria: an alternative to phyletic gradualism", In T.J.M. Schopf, ed., Models in Paleobiology [San Francisco 1972] p.83
5 N. Eldredge, S.J. Gould "Punctuated equilibria: an alternative to phyletic gradualism", In T.J.M. Schopf, ed., Models in Paleobiology [San Francisco 1972] p.84
6 H. Scott 'Stephen Jay Gould and the Rhetoric of Evolutionary Theory' in Rhetoric Review. 26 (2) 120–141 2007 R. Dawkins The Blind Watchmaker [New York 1996] p. 224-252
7 E. Mayr Animal Species and Evolution [Cambridge 1963]
8 W. Blockmans, P. Hoppenbrouwers Introduction to Medieval Europe 300-1500 [New York 2018] p.366
9 J. Merriman A history of modern Europe – from the Renaissance to the present [New York 2010] p.300
10 L. de Blois, R. J. van der Spek An introduction to the Ancient world [New York 2008] p.9
11 E. Mayr Animal Species and Evolution [Cambridge 1963]
12 F. Spier Big History and the future of humanity [Oxford 2015] p.161 A. Dutkiewicz, H. Volk, S. C. George, J. Ridley, R. Buick, 'Biomarkers from Huronian oil-bearing fluid inclusions: An uncontaminated record of life before the Great Oxidation Event' In: Geology. Volume 34, Nr. 6, 2006 p.437–440
13 J. Merriman A history of modern Europe – from the Renaissance to the present [New York 2010] p.437
- Citation du texte
- Cornelia Jürgens (Auteur), 2020, Societal revolutions and punctuated equilibrium. A comparison with the evolutionary theory, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1119515
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