ABSTRACT
Dynamical analogies are of theoretical value precisely in their power to illuminate to nonlinearities, to parsimoniously suggest general conditions under which explosive, dissipative, cyclical, even chaotic social dynamics are likely to focus empirical attention on the parameters and relationships that matter most. Dynamical analogies are more beautiful testaments to the unifying power of mathematics. This chapter examines the analogy between epidemics and processes of explosive social change, such as revolutions. The political interpretation is straightforward: extending model to include rudimentary vital dynamics, society may experience periodic cycles of revolutionary discontent analogous to cycles characteristic of basic model ecosystems, and recurrent epidemics. Murray Gell-Mann has written on the application of nonlinear dynamics to various systems, including social systems. Interpreting the heteroclinic orbit politically, the equilibrium represents a world of ideological purity—there are no revolutionaries. But, that society is "ripe for revolution".
