Is it "revolution causes conceptual change" or "conceptual change causes revolution"?

-A brief analysis of "the western revolution causes the change of ideas, and the change of eastern ideas causes the revolution"

Why do some people say that "the western revolution causes the change of ideas, and the change of eastern ideas causes the revolution"? Let's first look at the history of bourgeois revolution in the East and the West.

Where did the earliest bourgeois revolution take place in the world? Many people think that it is in Britain, but it is actually in the Netherlands (now the Netherlands, Belgium), but it is not representative. Therefore, 1640, which began with the British bourgeois revolution, is usually regarded as the beginning of modern world history, because the British bourgeois revolution opened the prelude to the bourgeois revolutionary movement in Europe and America. Therefore, the British bourgeois revolution is generally regarded as the first typical bourgeois revolution in the West.

What about the bourgeois revolution in China? There is no doubt that it was the Revolution of 1911.

In this case, we might as well compare the differences between the British bourgeois revolution and the Xinhai revolution.

Before that, let's take a look at what a revolution needs to succeed. Generally speaking, six elements are needed:

First, the spiritual resources of the revolution. (such as thoughts, beliefs, concepts, values, revolutionary theory, ideology, program, articles of association, strategy, goals, etc.). ).)

Second, the organizational resources of the revolution. Such as revolutionary political parties and organizations, peripheral organizations of political parties, social organizations, military organizations, United front, etc. )

Third, the human resources of the revolution. (such as revolutionary leaders, revolutionary masses, revolutionary armed forces, etc.). ).)

Fourth, the material resources of the revolution. (such as sufficient funds, materials, equipment, weapons, ammunition, intelligence and foreign aid, etc.). ).)

Fifth, the symbolic resources of the revolution. (such as newspapers, magazines, books, advertisements, radio, television, movies, electronic networks and other mass media, and related carriers such as flags, slogans, slogans, logos, badges, clothing, etiquette, songs, paintings, organization names, etc.). )

Sixth, the legitimate resources of the revolution. (such as historical tradition, cultural value, political formula, ideology, theoretical logic, etc.). To prove the correctness, legitimacy, rationality and legitimacy of the revolution. )

Our analysis this time is about the change of ideas, which I think should be classified as revolutionary spiritual resources.

At the beginning of the British bourgeois revolution, it can be said that Europe and even the whole world did not produce mature bourgeois ideas of democracy and freedom.

When did the bourgeois democratic thought in Europe come into being? Let's talk about/kloc-the famous enlightenment thought in the first half of the eighth century. A few effective soldiers. They are Rousseau, Voltaire and Montesquieu. They are all outstanding thinkers and philosophers, who put forward a series of bourgeois democratic ideas, attacked feudal autocracy and prepared conditions for the outbreak of the Great Revolution. For example, Voltaire believed in the theory of natural rights and thought that "people are equal in essence" and required everyone to enjoy "natural rights". He advocates that everyone is equal before the law and that personal property is sacred and inviolable. Montesquieu was the first famous jurist in modern European countries. His book On the Spirit of Law laid the foundation for the development of modern western political and legal theories. It was these people's thoughts and writings that gave the French Revolution a profound ideological root. But let's look at the dates of birth and death of these people first: Montesquieu, (1689- 1755), Rousseau (17 12- 1778), Voltaire (1778).

So this seems wrong? Didn't the British bourgeois revolution have no spiritual resources? In fact, their revolution still has some purposes and motivation. That is the Puritanism Movement. After the Reformation, the Anglican Church established its dominant position in Britain. The main purpose of Puritanism Movement is to remove the remnants of Catholicism in the Anglican Church, which has a lot of requirements with the bourgeois anti-feudal struggle. The Puritans only recognized the Bible as the only authority of faith, and emphasized that all believers, whether civilians or kings, were equal before God. They believe in Calvin's fatalism of "God created nature, man created nature". It advocates the establishment of a democratic and harmonious church without hierarchy and opposes the autocratic power of kings and bishops. They accepted the teachings of Calvinism, demanded the abolition of bishops and idolatry, reduced religious festivals, advocated frugality and forbearance, and opposed extravagance and indulgence. Since 1970s, it has left the Anglican Church, established an independent church, and elected elders to manage religious affairs. They praise the accumulation of worldly wealth and advocate the enterprising spirit of thrift and diligence. These views reflect the wishes and will of the emerging bourgeoisie. Capitalism in this period has not yet achieved absolute superiority over feudalism, and the bourgeoisie has not yet formed a complete and mature theoretical system. With the help of Puritanism, it became the main choice of bourgeois anti-feudal struggle, so it became the ideological banner of British bourgeois revolution.

Let's look at the course of the British bourgeois revolution:

(1) fuse: Scottish people's uprising.

(2) revolutionary war stage

(1) The revolution began with the parliamentary struggle of 1640- 1642, when the bourgeoisie and the parliament under the control of new noble demanded the restriction of kingship, and the British bourgeois revolution began.

② During the civil war 1642- 1649. The parliamentary army led by Cromwell defeated the royalist army in the Battle of Naxibi and the Battle of Marston Wilderness.

(3) 1649, Charles I was executed and the Republic of China was established in Britain.

(3) After the founding of the Republic of China, Cromwell practiced dictatorship and was resisted by the people.

(4) 1660, the restoration of the Stuart feudal dynasty (charles ii).

(2) 1688, Whigs and some Tories who supported the parliament invited James II's daughter Mary and the son-in-law William of Orange (later Mary Ⅱ and William III) of the Netherlands to return to China, launched a palace coup, overthrew the feudal rule of Stuart dynasty, and established the rule of bourgeois new noble, which was called "glorious revolution" in history.

(6) 1689, the bill of rights was promulgated, which marked the establishment of the constitutional monarchy bourgeois rule.

Although the British bourgeoisie did not have mature revolutionary ideas, the success of the revolution greatly promoted the growth of anti-feudal forces in European countries and played an enlightening role in bourgeois ideas. Most of the above-mentioned cadres of French enlightenment thought have been to Britain, such as Voltaire, and 1726 was exiled to Britain because of the framing of a noble. At that time, Britain had completed the bourgeois revolution, and he appreciated the British bourgeois democratic system very much. 1729, Voltaire returned to Paris and wrote the historical drama Brutu, praising democracy and harmony and advocating bourgeois revolution. At the same time, he began to invest in business and accumulated a lot of wealth. 1734, he published his collection of British newsletters in Rouen, introducing British politics, religion, science and philosophy with letters, and criticizing the religious sectarian struggle in France. Similarly, Montesquieu left France in 1726 and roamed Europe, where he stayed in Britain for two years, during which he inspected the British political system and carefully studied the works of early enlightenment thinkers, and was elected as a member of the Royal Society. Undoubtedly, it was what they saw and heard in England that greatly inspired their thoughts and made them outstanding representatives of the French Enlightenment.

The French Enlightenment laid the ideological foundation for the French Revolution and described the blueprint of bourgeois society. So it is natural that the French Revolution broke out.

/kloc-Capitalism in some parts of France in the 0/8th century has been quite developed, with many capitalist handicraft factories, individual enterprises employing thousands of workers and advanced equipment. Strong financial capital. The bourgeoisie has become the richest class economically, but it is still in a helpless position politically. The vast majority of rural areas retain feudal land ownership and implement a strict feudal hierarchy. The first class composed of Catholic priests and the second class composed of nobles are the dominant privileged classes. The bourgeoisie, peasants and urban civilians constitute the third class and are in a dominant position. The highest representative of the privileged class is Bourbon King Louis XVI. At the end of 18, the contradiction between the third class and the privileged class became more and more serious. The privileged class stubbornly maintains its privileged position. At the third level, farmers and urban civilians are the basic masses and the main force of the later revolution. The bourgeoisie is in a leading position by virtue of its economic strength, political talent and cultural knowledge.

1789 in may, the king was forced to convene a three-level meeting, which was later changed to the national assembly and the constitutional assembly. On July 14, the people of Paris revolted and captured the Bastille, and the revolution broke out. On August 26th, the Constitutional Convention adopted the Declaration of Human Rights and Citizenship (hereinafter referred to as the Declaration of Human Rights), which established the basic principles of capitalism such as human rights, legal system, civil liberties and private property rights. Parliament also issued decrees to abolish the aristocratic system, the guild system and the confiscation and auction of church property. At the beginning of the revolution, the constitutional monarchy (Yang Fei School), which represented the interests of the big bourgeoisie and liberal aristocrats, gained political power. 1791On June 20th, Louis XVI fled in disguise (see Louis XVI's escape incident) and tried to collude with foreign forces to put out the revolution. He was caught halfway and sent back to Paris. The masses demanded the abolition of the monarchy and the implementation of * * * harmony, but the constitutional monarchy advocated maintaining the status quo and retaining the monarchy. Constitutional monarchists formulated the constitution of 179 1 and held a legislative meeting to safeguard the constitutional monarchy and oppose the continued development of the revolution.

The first and second classes reached a compromise with the big bourgeoisie, but the contradiction with the peasants and urban civilians, who accounted for the majority of the French population, did not ease. On the contrary, the people saw their own strength in the struggle. On August 1792, the people of Paris revolted again, overthrew the constitutional monarchy and arrested King Louis XVI. On September 2 1, the National Assembly was convened, and the French Republic was declared the next day.

10 After the uprising in August, gironde came to power. On September 20th, the French army defeated the foreign intervention army in the battle of Valmy. The National Assembly elected by universal suffrage opened on September 2 1, and the first French Republic was established on September 22. During gironde's administration, he issued decrees to force nobles to return illegally occupied public land, lease or sell confiscated church land to farmers, and severely crack down on priests and fugitive nobles who refused to take an oath to the Constitution. 1793 65438+1October 2 1 day, the National Association executed Louis XVI for treason after trial.

Gironde focused on opposing jacobins, the Paris Commune and the Paris pants-free people headed by robespierre. Since the autumn of 1792, mass movements have sprung up in ceiling price, demanding to crack down on speculators. The populist revolutionaries, represented by the cynics, demand that speculators be severely punished, the prices of daily necessities be completely limited, and the enemy be attacked by terrorist means. Gironde decreed to suppress the movement. 1793 from February to March, European countries headed by Britain formed an anti-French alliance to strengthen armed intervention; There was also a large-scale royalist rebellion in China. In April, the main commander of the front line, General Di muriel of gironde, defected to the enemy. At the critical moment of the revolution, the Parisian people launched the third uprising from May 3rd to June 2nd, overthrew the rule of gironde and established the dictatorship of jacobins.

Jacobins promulgated the Constitution of jacobin, abolished feudal ownership, put down the rebellion in gironde and shattered the armed intervention of European monarchies. But still maintain the anti-labor column? Fei Xia law and compulsory labor law for agricultural workers, and suppressed the angry Abelians.

Unfortunately, however, jacobins's radical terror policy also led to division and infighting, and isolated robespierre could not completely protect the achievements of the French Revolution. But the anti-French alliance was pieced together again and again by European feudal monarchs, who besieged the French Revolution round after round in an attempt to restore the feudal politics of the French Bourbon dynasty. 1On July 27th, 794, the rightist forces suppressed by Romania launched a hot moon coup in jacobin, arrested robespierre and St. Just, and established the hot moon party rule. At this time, the most critical moment of the revolution has passed, and enthusiasts have established a new revolutionary government-the governor's government. They eliminated the revolutionary terror policy and radical measures in the robespierre period, established the normal rule of the bourgeoisie, safeguarded the * * * and political power, and safeguarded the achievements of the French bourgeois revolution.

However, the forces of foreign encirclement and suppression revolution are still surging. At this time, a new political star appeared in the governor's government. He is Napoleon, and history has eliminated fans. In the "foggy month coup", young Napoleon came to power and shouldered the heavy responsibility of sweeping the feudal forces in Europe and finally consolidating the achievements of the Great Revolution.

This is how the revolutionary forces in France advance in waves. A group of people who have completed their historical mission at a specific stage are ruthlessly eliminated by history, and so on until the revolution is successful. This revolution destroyed the feudal autocracy in France and promoted the development of French capitalism. It also impacted the feudal system in Europe and promoted the revolutions in European countries.

The biggest difference between the French Revolution and the British bourgeois revolution lies in its ideological reasons. Britain is due to the rise of Puritanism, and France is due to the mobilization of the Enlightenment.

Next, let's look at the Revolution of 1911. The Revolution of 1911 took place in191year, nearly 300 years from the British bourgeois revolution and 120 years from the French Revolution. At this time, almost all countries in Europe, as well as the United States, have completed the bourgeois revolution, and the bourgeois democratic revolution has spread rapidly all over the world, which naturally shocked China's ideological circles and promoted the arrival of the democratic revolutionary movement. The first to wake up is the emerging group of intellectuals. Modern intellectuals took newspapers and periodicals as an important position to publicize the theory of democratic revolution, and founded more than 20 political journals such as Jiangsu, Zhejiang Tide, Su Bao and China Vernacular Newspaper. Chen Tianhua's Jing Shizhong, Looking Back, Zou Rong's Revolutionary Army and other pamphlets 130 have been published. Bourgeois and petty-bourgeois intellectuals have also translated many social and political works of the western bourgeoisie. Cai Yuanpei translated koppel's Essentials of Philosophy in Germany, Yan Fu translated Huxley's Evolution and Adam? Smith's The Wealth of Nations and other works.

With the widespread spread of democratic ideas, many revolutionary groups have emerged at home and abroad. Zhong Xing Society, Huaxing Society, science tutorial school, Guangfu Society, etc. On August 20th, 1905, the China League was established. Sun Yat-sen put forward the platform of "expelling the Tatars, restoring China, establishing the Republic of China, and sharing land rights equally".

These revolutionary groups and publications have greatly inspired the wisdom of the people in China and changed the concept of the whole society in China. Therefore, when the Hubei military government was established on June 5438+09 1 1, 10, and 10 under the gunfire of the new army in Wuchang city, Hunan, Shaanxi, Jiangxi, Shanxi, Yunnan, Guizhou, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Guangxi, Anhui, Sichuan. It is true that history books say that so many provinces became independent one after another because some feudal landlords saw the great potential of the revolutionary army and turned to it in order to safeguard their own interests and steal the fruits of the revolution. But these bureaucrats must have been exposed to the idea of democratic revolution, and they made such a decision only when they saw the hope of the success of the revolution. This can't be said to be the result of the change of ideas.

Summarize the course of the East-West Revolution;

West: Revolution (British bourgeois revolution)-Concept change (Enlightenment, France)-Revolution (French revolution)

Orient: Concept Change (Mature Democratic Revolutionary Thought in the West)-Revolution (Revolution of 1911)

This is probably the truth that "the western revolution causes the change of ideas, and the change of eastern ideas causes the revolution".