Anatomy of a Revolution; The Role of the Intellectuals
Description:
Beginning with Miltons effect on the Puritan revolution, Professor Briton here turns to the most profound revolutionary determinant the necessary intellectual stimulation toward change. The intellectual most likely begins his thought and action provoking work several decades or even generations before an actual revolution occurs. Often, the professor remark, the intellectual is not merely a man of words. The number of university students, scholars, lawyers, and philosophers who have actually fought for change is large and eloquent. The program ends with a scene from Beaumarchais play, The Marriage of Figaro one of the most outspoken pre-French Revolution attacks against privilege and corruption. (Description adapted from documents in the NET Microfiche) An apt description was prepared by the man who wrote this series Crane Brinton, professor of history at Harvard University. Said Professor Brinton: I am anxious not only to present the drama and human interest of revolutions, which I think the visual materials will make fairly easy, but I also want to have the audience think about these problems: how revolutions come about, what they really achieve, in what ways revolutions are in terms of social psychology pathological or at least abnormal, how it may be possible to achieve necessary social, political, economic changes without the worst phases of revolution. Professor Brinton deals with his topics analytically, dissecting revolutions not by period but by theme, aim, method, success, weakness, or failure. Each episode is enhanced and vividly illustrated by visuals film clips, photographs, cartoons and portraits. The 15 half-hour episodes that comprise this series were originally recorded on videotape. (Description adapted from documents in the NET Microfiche)
