ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses that political revolutions may be accompanied by important social transformations. A revolution may finally become a belief, but it often commences under the action of perfectly rational motives: the suppression of crying abuses, of a detested despotic government, or an unpopular sovereign. Scientific revolutions are the most important. Although they attract but little attention, they are often fraught with remote consequences, such as are not engendered by political revolutions. Political revolutions may result from beliefs established in the minds of men, but many other causes produce them. The word discontent sums them up. As soon as discontent is generalised a party is formed which often becomes strong enough to struggle against the Government. When a political party is triumphant it naturally seeks to organise society in accordance with its interests. The organisation will differ accordingly as the revolution has been effected by the soldiers, the Radicals, or the Conservatives.
