Political ideas vs Industrial Revolution Essay
Political ideas vs Industrial Revolution Essay
Among contemporary scholars, a raging debate continues about which brought the most change in the world between the industrial revolution and the revolutionary political ideologies. On the one hand, the industrial revolution transformed the world economically through the creation of mechanized production and factory systems. On the other hand, political ideas revolutionized the world by challenging the existing order of the world through the introduction of critical new ideas such as equality, civil rights, responsible citizenship, and liberty. Both have created a critical impact on societies economically, socially, and politically. Political ideas vs Industrial Revolution Essay
A revolution in political ideas brought far-reaching changes that impacted the world for the better. In the 19th century, liberalism was an important reform movement within Europe and other parts of the world. In Britain for example, the adoption of liberalism resulted in the long campaigns that eventually eradicated the slave trade in the world. By 1833, through the adoption of liberal ideologies, Britain and all its dominions had abolished the slave trade (Collins, 2019 Political ideas vs Industrial Revolution Essay). Besides, through liberalism, Europe and some countries in the Western hemisphere (North and South America), had adopted progressive political ideas backed by the rule of law that observed human rights.
On its part, the industrial revolution revolutionized the process of creation of wealth by moving the world from the Agrarian economy to an economy characterized by mechanized production of goods. Some of the critical contributions of the industrial revolution are critical inventions of tools, appliances, medicine, and general goods. These inventions revolutionized human life through improved standards of living. For example, goods became cheaper, scientific inventions such as medicines emerged, access to healthier foods and diets became necessary, and improved housing are some of the benefits that came with the industrial revolution.
I consider the industrial revolution much more important compared to early revolutionary political ideas because its effect transcended socioeconomic, technological, and cultural aspects of human lives. Human life as we know it today has its beginnings in the industrial revolution. Important factors such as mobility, communication, scientific inventions, all technological advancements, wealth creation, and international trade all stemmed from the industrial revolution.
Socially, the industrial revolution is responsible for the modern social changes of human life. For example, the industrial revolution is responsible for the classification of humans into classes as new patterns of social relations emerged (Philbeck & Davis, 2018 Political ideas vs Industrial Revolution Essay). Communication tools such as phones, computers, and the internet are a product of the industrial revolution that has impacted the social life of humans. Today through technological inventions, people can socialize and conduct business in real-time without leaving their geographical locations.
The industrial revolution has also impacted other critical spheres of human life such as education and health. Through technological advancements and scientific inventions, human beings lived an improved healthy life marked by reduced morbidity and mortality due to a wide range of medical inventions (Skilton & Hovsepian, 2018). Through the industrial revolution, humans have been able to stretch the limit of knowledge- a factor that is critical for survival presently and in the future.
In sum, political ideas transformed the world socially and politically. However, the impact of the industrial revolution transcended beyond social and political spheres. The industrial revolution impacted and shaped other critical spheres of human life such as health, education, culture, politics, and the quality of life. Based on this analogy, I find that while these two factors revolutionized the world, the industrial revolution has a deeper impact compared to early revolutionary political ideas.
Political ideas vs Industrial Revolution Essay References
- Collins, G. M. (2019). Edmund Burke on slavery and the slave trade. Slavery & Abolition, 40(3), 494-521.
- Philbeck, T., & Davis, N. (2018). The fourth industrial revolution: shaping a new era. Journal of International Affairs, 72(1), 17-22. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26588339
- Skilton, M., & Hovsepian, F. (2018). The 4th Industrial Revolution Impact. In The 4th Industrial Revolution (pp. 3-28). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
Political ideas vs Industrial Revolution Essay Instructions
Chapters 28 and 29 dealt with the new political philosophies and the rise of the Industrial Revolution. Specifically, it dealt with how Western Europe and the United States were changed by these events. On the other hand, Chapter 31 reviewed the weaknesses found within China, the Ottoman Empire and Russia. These traditional powers unsuccessfully attempted political transformations and lagged far behind in Industrializing their economic infrastructure.
Scholars argue which development was more important for changing the world -the political ideals associated with the Revolutions, of the economic changes the Industrial Revolution, bought to the world. Using one example from the readings, which changed the world more, the political ideas or the Industrial Revolution? For example, did the ideas of popular sovereignty prove more significant than say the innovation of steam-powered boats? In short, I am asking to answer is it ideas or things that change the world? Political ideas vs Industrial Revolution Essay