A Specific Position between Rebellion and Revolution - Essay Example

Rebellion or Revolution? Rebellion and revolution have been two concepts that are closely related and have lead to much debate in the past. They have been used in divergent manner and also in contradictory ways. In this paper I will take a specific position on the two concepts and aim to define each one of them. There have been numerous revolution and rebellions in the past. There has been confusion to some extent in terming an event a rebellion or a revolution. Numerous authors, researchers, historians, have all tried to establish a difference between a rebellion and a revolution. In the following paragraphs I will attempt to establish the difference between the two by taking a specific position on each. In order to do so, I have fallen back on the work of other scholars and some real life examples from the past. First, I will define each of them individually and then try to establish the difference between the two. According to me, a rebellion is an act of protesting or defying the higher authority. In most cases rebellion is a protest or against an ideology, requirement or a restriction. Through a rebellion, an attempt is made at changing a part of a system (for example part of a government). A rebellion is always associated with a negative attitude if not a destructive one. Rebellions lack a proper direction and in most cases lack an affirmative program. Rebellion in most cases is associated with violence. Brinkley (2010) in his article points how to rebellion attitude is associated with negative emotions. But a rebellion is not always violent and negative. But a rebellion is an aggressive attempt to walk away from the routine and the accepted. Rebellion is a fight against the flaws or loopholes in a system that is accepted by majority of the society. It is aimed at changing or refining a part of the system. Rebellion is not associated with majority of the population but is supported only by a few. Hence, the scale of a rebellion is small. A rebellion unlike the common belief can be both violent and non-violent. Example of violent rebellion is rebellion against the Gaddafi government in Libya. A very good example of a non-violent rebellion is the protest by Gandhi against the injustice SA against the Indians. This is very well depicted in the 1982 movie Gandhi (Gandhi, 1982). This is will addressed again later. A revolution on the other hand is much larger in scale and is aimed at overthrowing the entire system or bringing in a major change in the way a system works. A revolution is associated with a positive attitude and is supported by majority of the society. As a result of a revolution there is a fundamental change being brought about with respect to power in a system. Revolution is mainly associated with political change and is much shorter with respect to duration but on a much bigger scale than a rebellion. A revolution brings in a major reform and attracts huge support from different quarters of the society. World has seen numerous revolutions in the past which has resulted in a total change. A revolution can be both violent and non-violent but it is always associated with positive emotion. Russian revolution was a violent revolution which bought a major political change in Russia while the Indian independence movement was a non-violent revolution which got India freedom. Now that the definitions and concepts of the two have been established, let’s see how they are different from each other. To put in a simplest way, revolution is born put of a rebellion. Rebellion is on a smaller scale and is aimed at showing discontent about the system while revolution is aimed at completely overthrowing a system. Rebellion is a narrow domain while revolution is a much broader field. A rebellion becomes a revolution when it gains momentum and realize its capability to bring in change on a large scale. A rebellion can happen at a individual level and might consider individual interests or interests of a small section of the society. Rebellion attitudes are best explained as kind of anomie which is a refusal that can not be validated with any social rule or aim, which leads to any extremely egocentric protest. This can be individual protest or can be shared with like minded people (Lauterbach, 1979). Another most important difference between a rebellion and a revolution is that a rebellion is generally wrong, while a revolution is always right. A rebellion is more often than not a passionate but a mad effort of those who can not handle immediate injustice. In majority of the times, a rebellion lacks moral quality. A revolution is a splendid effort which is backed by moral quality and has clear definition of what has to be achieved. It draws the masses towards a unified goal, while a rebellion lacks the support on a large scale. The cause of a rebellion and a revolution can be similar but the effects that each have is very different. A rebellion may cause unrest in the system and end up being a failure with no positive effects. A revolution will bring a major change in the system which will lead to a better system. Yes, it does cause unrest but leads to positive changes. The intensity levels of a rebellion will be high but in most cases fail to last for a long time or until it makes a positive impact. On the other hand, the intensity levels of a revolution may be high or fluctuate but will pass the test of time in order to make a positive impact. The above discussion is supported by numerous real life examples. The best example is that of Gandhi. Gandhi’s actions in SA lead to a peaceful rebellion in SA. In the video it is clear how a rebellion in most cases can be a violent one (Gandhi, 1982). The initial reaction of the audience is to take a violent action against the government. A rebellion is always an immediate and emotional reaction. But Gandhi motivates and urges them to fight and rebel but in a peaceful way. The effects of Gandhi’s action in SA bought minor changes in the system and are considered as a rebellion. But what Gandhi did in India is a revolution and bought about a major change. It got India its freedom. Patrick Henry’s protest against the British was a rebellion. He called for arms to fight for the basic citizen’s rights. His famous words “give me liberty or give me death” resonated through out the country. There were numerous small rebellions across the country and soon became a revolution. His actions marked the beginning of American Revolution. This shows how revolution is born out a rebellion. The essay has successfully defined a rebellion and a revolution. A rebellion is small protest or fight to showcase discontent with some part of a system and is most of the times associated with violence. A rebellion is a sudden outburst by an individual or a group who share similar sentiments. A rebellion majority of the times causes harm and makes a negative impact. A revolution is a much larger in scale, effectiveness and support. A revolution is aimed at overthrowing in an entire system. It can be either violent or non-violent and brings about a positive change in the system. Annotated Bibliography Brinkley, Douglas (2010). “The Sparck of Rebellion”. American Heritage, Winter2010, Vol. 59 Issue 4, p33-34. I found this article in Military & Government Collection database by searching the terms “Rebellion and Revolution”. This article focuses on the ‘Boston tea party’ which was a rebellion act against the British by the Americans. I choose this article as it helps me establish the negative rebellion attitudes. Also the article establishes the fact that how rebellions gain momentum and support and go on to becomes revolution. This article highlights that no one knew that these rebellions were the first steps that lead to the American Revolution. American revolution was born out of the many rebellions all over the country. I have used this in order to prove specific positions on rebellion and revolution. Gandhi, Mahatma. “Gandhi’s nonviolence speech” 1982. YouTube. 8 June 2011. This video was a part of the assignment. This is a very interesting video as it shows both the violent and non-violent aspects of a rebellion. Also the ideologies in this speech are the foundation of the ideology that was the basis of the Indian Independence Movement which is one of the greatest non-violent revolutions in the world. The violent reaction of the audience and the way Gandhi defines his rebellion adds a new dimension to the whole idea of a rebellion. I have used this video to highlight the violent and non-violent aspects of a rebellion and also the peaceful revolution. Also the effects of a rebellion and a revolution can be drawn from this speech by comparing the rebellion in SA to the revolution in India which were based on the same ideology. Henry, Patrick (2011). Patrick Henry. [Online]. Available at: http://www.history.org/almanack/people/bios/biohen.cfm. Accessed on 18th June, 2011 {Web} This speech was part of the assignment. I choose this video as it highlights various factors that are discussed for other sources. The speech showcases the discontent of towards the system and how Patrick Henry calls for a rebellion which was actually the starting point of the American Revolution. I have used this to differentiate between a rebellion and revolution, and also how a revolution can grow out of a rebellion. Lauterbach, Albert (1979). “Intolerance, Violence and Social Change: Rebellion versus Revolution”. ACES Bulletin; Spring79, Vol. 21 Issue 1, p61-87. I found this article in Academic Search Complete database by searching the terms “Rebellion and Revolution”. I found this article very relevant to the topic as it compares and contrasts rebellion and revolution. The author has explained the concepts of rebellion and revolution with many examples and mainly relating to Russia. But what I found to be most useful for my research is the various qualities and elements involved in rebellion and revolution. The article clearly explains what leads to a rebellion and how it is different from a revolution. It has addressed the various attitudes associated with a rebellion and revolution which I have used in order to support my position. The article also explains the effects of the two and how they make a positive or a negative impact. Read More