Change

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Change denotes the transition that occurs between one state to another.

Physical

Ovid produced a classic thematic handling of change as metamorphosis in his ''Metamorphoses.

Ptolemaic astronomy envisioned a largely static universe, with erratic change confined to less worthy spheres.

Isaac Newton and Gottfried Leibniz harnessed mathematical concepts into calculus to provide mathematical models of change. This constituted a major step forward in understanding flux and variation. In modern physics, the concept of change is associated with action.

Social

Medieval thought fostered great respect for authority and revelation, severely cramping any encouragement of change.

With the rise of industrialisation and capitalism, the importance attached to innovation grew, and social and political upheaval. Change is random, lacking determinism or teleology.

• Change is cyclical, and one expects circumstances to recur. This concept, often seen as related to Eastern world views such as Hinduism or Buddhism, nevertheless had great popularity in Europe in the Middle ages, and often appears in depictions of The Wheel of Fortune.

Change may require organisms and organizations to adapt (see also evolution).

Changes in society have been observed through slow, gradual modifications in mindsets and beliefs as well as through dramatic action (see revolutions). History is one of the tools used to document change.

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Last updated on Saturday February 23, 2008 at 21:32:25 PST (GMT -0800)
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