The medieval people often talked of Rota Fortunae, a vertical-standing wheel of fortune spun by a Lady Fortuna, or the female personification of fortune. As she spun the wheel, men are depicted sitting upon the edges. At the height of the wheel’s rotation, men are blessed by fortune. However, just as quickly as he reached the top, a man will no sooner fall to his gruesome death as the wheel continues to rotate around. This wheel of fortune was the people’s fate, an unknown force that could bring blessings or misfortune, suffering or joy at its will (“The Iconography of Fortuna”). In this context, Rota Fortunae can be likened to great revolutions. Revolution, as defined by Encyclopaedia Britannica, is “a major, sudden, and hence typically
…show more content…
Titled Why Great Revolutions Will Become More Rare, the chapter notes Tocqueville’s belief that the motivation of most revolutions is to “consolidate or destroy social inequality” (Tocqueville 533). In other words, revolutions occur because the rich and poor class seek to, respectively, distance or close the gap between social classes. In future societies, however, Tocqueville reasons that there will be an increase in the middle class due to innovation and different wealth opportunities (Tocqueville 534). This rise in a dominant middle class will, in turn, lessen social inequality because there will be less people strictly in the rich or poor category. The dominant middle class will also be “natural enemies of violent commotions”, seeking to protect and maintain their status in a stable setting (Tocqueville 534). Thus, great revolutions will become rarer as the middle class entreats away from the unstable upheaval it would …show more content…
Take the United States’ Declaration of Independence. Its famous words, “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”, directly derives from John Locke’s “life, liberty, and the pursuit of property”. At the core of society is the testament to the right of finding happiness through property. Since property is at the core of social inequality, and revolution occurs due to social inequality, it can be seen that no revolutions will alleviate social inequality. All it will do is temporarily bring about “equality” in the eyes of the instigator before repeating the cycle of continuous property-seeking, social inequality, and revolutions. By making this conclusion, we have disagreed with Tocqueville’s second claim that revolutions will lessen social inequality. In addition, we have clarified that revolutions can only advance social inequality through social class
Titled Why Great Revolutions Will Become More Rare, the chapter notes Tocqueville’s belief that the motivation of most revolutions is to “consolidate or destroy social inequality” (Tocqueville 533). In other words, revolutions occur because the rich and poor class seek to, respectively, distance or close the gap between social classes. In future societies, however, Tocqueville reasons that there will be an increase in the middle class due to innovation and different wealth opportunities (Tocqueville 534). This rise in a dominant middle class will, in turn, lessen social inequality because there will be less people strictly in the rich or poor category. The dominant middle class will also be “natural enemies of violent commotions”, seeking to protect and maintain their status in a stable setting (Tocqueville 534). Thus, great revolutions will become rarer as the middle class entreats away from the unstable upheaval it would …show more content…
Take the United States’ Declaration of Independence. Its famous words, “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”, directly derives from John Locke’s “life, liberty, and the pursuit of property”. At the core of society is the testament to the right of finding happiness through property. Since property is at the core of social inequality, and revolution occurs due to social inequality, it can be seen that no revolutions will alleviate social inequality. All it will do is temporarily bring about “equality” in the eyes of the instigator before repeating the cycle of continuous property-seeking, social inequality, and revolutions. By making this conclusion, we have disagreed with Tocqueville’s second claim that revolutions will lessen social inequality. In addition, we have clarified that revolutions can only advance social inequality through social class