"A revolution is an axiom backed by bayonets" said Napoleon once, and he was not so inaccurate. Most revolutions shed blood of innocents as well as those who caused and led them, yet one as radical as the rest, that still contributed to Western Political Thought was splendidly serene. This idea that the large set of rules called politics is controlled partially by the citizens that have to follow them has changed over time, but the basic idea comes from long ago. The Glorious, American and French revolutions had an effect on this notion from which society has a say on the government. It all started long ago, when people felt an urge for having responsibility and control over their own faith.
In June of 1215, in a place that would later become one of the early birthplaces of our involvement in government, a challenging document directed to a corrupt king was written. When the barons got frustrated with King John because monarchy was a government literally in the hands of one man said to have divine power to have people execute any of his orders. This letter called the Magna Carta or “Great Charter” that stipulated equal right and rules for everyone in England was the first step towards becoming a democratic republic. The first revolution after that was the Glorious revolution in 1688 which is different from any other because the population of England decided who was going to rule; Mary and William. Based moderately on the ideas of the philosopher John Locke, who believed in liberty and property, the English bill of rights was issued in 1689 by the English parliament; it stated that the parliament, a group of representatives of the people should help with the making of the rules. This was the first of what seemed to be a chain of revolutions to explode all over the world.
Almost a century later, the American population living in the thirteen colonies at the time also got tired of depending on another country to subsist. Not only was it a monarchy, but the citizens were not able to see or speak to their king and queen, most of them did not even know him. The principles that John Locke left as a model of innovating thinking, added to the doubts that Thomas Paine introduced about the bible, and the ideas of republic and three branches in charge of different duties that Montesquieu came up with produced a whole new United States closer to the place we live in now. Thomas Paine came to North America to propel his rebellious doubts about the bible and the absolute power of a ruler, once again, the king was not the most revered man. This long process to achieve freedom started in 1783 and led to numerous battles and men to fall for the same cause, a free nation of their own. Thomas Jefferson, amongst several men, came up with a letter that listed what their country should be like in 1776 and called it the Declaration of Independence. By 1789, the first ten amendments of what would later become the United States Constitution were established in the U.S. Bill of Rights; James Madison got most of the credit for another group decision. The American Revolution was extensive and exhausting, but finally gave the people a little more input on politics, and the country more freedom.
As the Americans went on with their battles, the French started to notice how they were under the same situation. The condition in France was miserable; King Louis XVI had the power and money that belonged to many citizens. Thus, the people decided to take their enlightening ideas to a new level in order to get some voting privileges and of course, to improve their economic status. Many writers and philosophers exposed their thoughts for both, American and French insurrections. The French Revolution was the bloodiest, extreme of all, it started in 1789 when Emmanuel Sieyes wrote the French Declaration of Rights which was very similar to the Bill of Rights; it declared liberty, security and resistance to oppression. Later, Maxemilian Robespierre took charge of the furious citizens after their own king had tried to flee and betray his country. The death penalty became a first choice; there was terror in the streets of Paris . Wild crowds watched as innocent people were massacred or assassinated on their new and “effective” killing system; the guillotine. Christianity was banned, the king killed and a cruel killer who was murdered became the new image to venerate. However, when all this was over in 1799, the French people found a voice in government and the freedom to think and walk the streets, once terrorized by murder and cruel, with no worries.
Therefore, no matter how bloody or pointless a revolution might seem, there can be a good side to it, unfortunately not everything is done by words. With these events we can see how what some might think are small thoughts, can result in a whole new chapter of a history book, a big event in the tale of a country's progress. The three precedent setting revolutions have something in common; they all helped humanity take a step forward closer to politics and the way rules are made. Nowadays the voting system may be normal to us and somewhat fair, we take this for granted but much is owed to the Glorious, American and French Revolution.
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Reflection
I usually think of how I cannot vote yet so I have nothing to do with this western political thought deal. However, if I think of how people close to get to choose who will make the rules I follow. Also, there are the school elections; nowadays electing people democratically is the only way to do it. Whenever we count the majority of people that prefer something, we are applying this idea without noticing it most of the time. I believe ASB is a big manifestation of Western Political Thought and it is something I do every week.
