A revolution is an abrupt and notable change in the pattern of events, both in its Marxist and non-Marxist meaning. From the standpoint of Marxist philosophy, revolution is composed of both objective and subjective aspects. The economic revolution is objective and takes place as qualitatively new means of production replace the old. On that basis, a political revolution takes place. A political revolution is subjective and is the process of a subordinate class overthrowing a ruling class and becoming the ruling class. Together, these two elements constitute a social revolution.
Social revolution begins with the introduction of qualitatively new means of production into the economy. It goes through stages of destruction and reconstruction. Once the process has begun, the destruction is an automatic process. Reconstruction, however, is not automatic. At critical points and through the work of conscious revolutionaries, political revolution (that is, the seizure of political power) facilitates the stage of reconstruction. After the assumption of political power, the revolution unites and completes itself by changing the mode of distribution and reconstructing society.
People generally recognize revolution only when it reaches the stage of political revolution, thus its seemingly abrupt appearance.
The question of leaps is closely connected to the question of social revolution. If everything in nature and society develops by decisive qualitative changes, by leaps, then capitalism too will be inevitably replaced by another social order, and this will take place by means of a leap, which can only be by social revolution.
