Verified Document

Revolution, Education, And Modernization Revolution, Education And Essay

Revolution, Education, And Modernization Revolution, Education and Modernization

Is revolution an acceptable way to change government? Why or why not?

In 1776 the founding fathers of the United States faced a situation where this question was paramount among the interests of their fellow countrymen:

"When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation" ("The Declaration of Independence," 1776).

History shows that when the needs of a society are not being met revolution is generated from outside the existing system since it is that system that is perceived as the problem. Over the past two hundred and fifty years the American, French, German, Italian, and Russian societies have all revolted against an established political regime. In each case revolution was not conducted in a desire to bring about anarchy, but to bring a new order to society so everyone may move forward.

This question may be reframed as does one have a moral obligation to disobey any unjust laws? I believe this is so. History has demonstrated...

Parts of this document are hidden

View Full Document
svg-one

Adolf Hitler could not have committed the authorities he did if the citizens of his country had not allowed him to do so. There is a fine line between freedom and social order. As citizens we must question authority. One has an obligation to denounce injustice if every citizen is responsible for every act of the government.
Henry David Thoreau argues that the government's power arises from the majority because they are the strongest group, not because their viewpoint is correct. Thoreau states that an individual's first obligation is to do what they believe is right, not to follow the law by the majority. When a government is unjust a person has an obligation to refuse to follow the law and distance themselves from the government. He questions the effectiveness of reforming the government, contending that voting and petitioning have little effect. Thoreau contends that refusing to participate in an unjust government institutions is preferable to trying to change the government from within stating that one cannot see the government for what it is when one is working within it (McElroy, 2005).

Will education and modernization lead to more or less revolutions and overthrows of governments in Less Developed Countries?

I would have to believe that the more educated and technologically connected an oppressed society becomes the more likely…

Sources used in this document:
References

"Egypt news -- Revolution and aftermath." (2011, June 2). The New York times. World. Retrieved February 26, 2013, from http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/egypt/index.html

Kanalley, C. (2011, January 30). Egypt revolution 2011: A complete guide to unrest. The Huffington Post. Retrieved February 26, 2013, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/30/egypt-revolution-2011_n_816026.html

McElroy, W. (2005). Henery Thoreau and 'civil disobedience'. Future of the freedom foundation. In The Thoreau Reader. Retrieved February 26, 2013, from http://thoreau.eserver.org/civil.html

Rathbone, E. (2011, March 15). Can social networking spur a revolution? The university of Virgina magazine. Retrieved February 26, 2013, from http://uvamagazine.org/only_online/article/can_social_networking_cause_revolution/
"The declaration of independance" (1776, July 4). U.S.History.org. Retrieved February 26, 2013, from http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/document/index.htm
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Egypt Revolution & International Relations Egyptian Revolution...
Words: 1294 Length: 4 Document Type: Case Study

Egypt Revolution & International Relations Egyptian Revolution and International Relation The Egyptian Revolution & International Relations Politics Egypt is the oldest country in existence and the most populated amongst the Arab world. The unusual significance this country possesses is due to its historical, regional, political and geographical aspects. In January 2011, masses started protesting at Tahrir Square in Cairo against the 30-year dictatorship of President Hosni Mubarak, fueled by social injustices, deteriorating law and

Egyptian Advertising Imagery Marketing Considerations for Egypt
Words: 665 Length: 2 Document Type: Essay

Egyptian Advertising Imagery Marketing Considerations for Egypt Egypt is a country prime for expansion by U.S. based companies. With a population of over 81 million people, there is great opportunity for growth. It is the second-largest county in the Middle East and Africa and citizens have a high appreciation for high quality and high-end brands, particularly American brands. Despite the global economic crisis that began in 2009, Egypt managed to sustain a

Information and Revolution in Egypt
Words: 1073 Length: 3 Document Type: Article Review

Revolution in Egypt_ Modern citizens hardly make decisions in a social vacuum. This underscore the role social media plays in determining decisions that people make. Social media influences what modern citizens know and how they feel about it. It therefore plays an integral role in influencing the masses. Trends in groups start after one person has taken a stand. This person's stand then influences others creating a cascade effect (Krebs,

Egypt the Revolution in Egypt of January
Words: 1851 Length: 6 Document Type: Essay

Egypt The revolution in Egypt of January and February 2011 led to the resignation of the nation's president, Hosni Mubarak. The revolution put the population in a state of potential chaos and some political commentators felt that it would be difficult for Egypt to become a functioning society in the near future. This was not the first time that the Middle Eastern region saw a political revolution within one of its

Twitter and the Middle East Revolutions of 2011
Words: 1143 Length: 3 Document Type: Article Review

Academic Writing and Critical Thinking The issue this paper will be discussing is the new attributes of information and, particularly, of the way the information moves around from individual to individual. It will look at different perspectives and different practical situation to argue that communication and information exchange is nowadays different. It will also seek to understand in more details the factors that have led to all these informational changes and

How the Muslim Brotherhood Ruined Changes for Egyptian Leadership
Words: 1111 Length: 3 Document Type: Essay

Muslim Brotherhood -- Arab Spring in Egypt The Arab Spring of 2010, in which angry citizens in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Yemen took to the streets by the hundreds of thousands to demand changes, did not always result in the positive changes envisioned by the demonstrators. In Egypt, the chaos associated with the revolution that overthrew the dictator, Muhammed Husni Mubarak, did not end in a positive situation for citizens. In

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now