Concept
Social cycle theory
Overview
Social cycle theories are among the earliest social theories in sociology. Unlike the theory of social evolutionism, which views the evolution of society and human history as progressing in some new, unique direction(s), sociological cycle theory argues that events and stages of society and history generally repeat themselves in cycles.
Such a theory does not necessarily imply that there cannot be any social progress. In the early theory of Sima Qian and the more recent theories of long-term ("secular") political-demographic cycles, an explicit accounting is made of social progress.
Overview adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0; see the article history for authors).
Philosophers who discussed Social cycle theory
Related ideas
- Samuel P. Huntington
- History
- French Revolution
- Government
- German Empire
- Thomas Carlyle
- Historiography
- City-state
- Italy
- Power (social and political)
- Ancient Greek
- Industrial Revolution
- Individualism
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
- Joseph Stalin
- Republic (Plato)
- Discourses on Livy
- Giambattista Vico
- Sociology
- Mathematics
- Monarchy
- Philosopher king
- Culture
- Tyrant
Opposing perspectives
Place in the tradition
Part of German philosophy.