The English Revolution of the 17th century through the lens of P.A. Sorokin’s “The Sociology of Revolution”

Abstract

The views of P.A. Sorokin, a renowned Russian-American scholar, on the political upheavals in England in 1640–1660 are explored in the context of his theory of revolution outlined in “The Sociology of Revolution,” one of his most influential yet contentious works, published in the United States in 1925. Seeking to validate his model of the revolutionary process, P.A. Sorokin cited numerous historical examples, focusing on the English Revolution of the 17th century (English Civil War). Here, P.A. Sorokin’s interpretation and evaluation of this revolutionary period in England, integrating both historical and sociological analysis, are discussed, along with the sources he drew on. The scholar argued that the English Civil War was caused by the repression of innate reflexes. As the mechanisms regulating behavior became less effective, the crisis escalated, and its second phase was marked by the terror instigated by the new government. At this point, it is important to stress that P.A. Sorokin pursued a sociological perspective rather than a purely historical one.