Are Revolutions a Good Idea? Theory and Case Studies Across History *In-Person* *NEW*

This course invites participants to think critically about the mechanics of power and to ask the difficult question: Do revolutions truly liberate, or do they merely replace one form of constraint with another? We will examine whether a revolution is defined by its hopeful beginnings, its violent processes, or its long-term consequences. We begin by engaging with political theorists to establish frameworks for what constitutes a “true” revolution, debating whether success is measured by the overthrow of a regime or the lasting stability of what replaces it. We will pick four of the following cases: The Papal Revolution, The Meiji Revolution, The Haitian Revolution, The Russian Revolution, the Iranian Revolution, and the Arab Spring. Through these examples, we will explore themes of ideological fervor, the role of violence, the influence of external powers, and the frequent gap between revolutionary promise and post-revolutionary reality. The course is conducted as a seminar, combining introductory lecturing with robust, open-ended discussion. Each session is grounded in curated readings (under 20 pages) from academic sources and respected journals.

Instructor: Sendus Majanni