James Billington Fire

Fire is a form of nature whose magnificent power and undying energy is awe-inspiring. In the book Fire in the Minds of Men, James H. Billington captures the essence of fire and compares it to revolutionary faith. He argues that revolutionary faith is like an everlasting spark, and the spark is made up of people who have a vision for a brighter future. Billington establishes these people, the revolutionaries, as the core of revolution. He examines and discusses revolutionaries’ motives, ideas, and effects. He proves that revolutionary faith is alive in every revolutionary, and it is what drives revolutions. Of course, other factors influence revolution. However, faith is the core of every revolution and can be seen especially in the French, feminist, and communist revolutions.
Studying revolution is critical to being able to understand the current world. Revolutions have shaped governments, societies, and even mindsets. Successful revolutions, whether nationalistic or social, have changed governments and social structures. The results of unsuccessful revolutions are less direct, but still significant. Unsuccessful revolutions bring new ideas to light. The ideas change minds and spur separate revolutions. Billington addresses the …show more content…
The equal distribution of goods meant that everybody had what another did, so there was no need for conflict. Also, the structure of communism required that all people work towards the greater good. This, communists theorized, would draw people closer to each other and create a sense of friendship and harmony. Communists believed communism would eliminate struggles between men. Billington claims that "their unity was to be ‘perfect,’ ‘indissoluble,’and ‘unalterable’.” Communism was not only a community, but it was a community of equality. Communists proclaimed their society would be equal and “their equality, ‘real, perfect, and