Revolution: A Textual Analysis

The history of the word revolution is conceived as a test case of accommodating conflicting subtexts of a concept into a magic expression. Originally denoting celestial rotation and repetition the concept of revolution absorbed in the works of Voltaire, Diderot and Condorcet an anesthetic function proclaiming revolution as innocuous and harmless It comprised imaginary strategies of social action. The French Revolution added conflicting subtext to the word encompassing meanings of necessity, virtue and violence. The historical semantics of the word revolution shows a concept-forming mechanism of split references that try to bridge the rift between desire, interpretation and action. (TU)