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==Etymology==
Medieval [[Latin]] gradualis, from Latin gradus
*Date: [http://www.17th_Century 1658]
==Definitions==
*1 : proceeding by steps or degrees
*2 : moving, changing, or developing by fine or often imperceptible degrees
==Descripion (Gradualism)==
'''Gradualism''' is the [[belief]] that [[changes]] occur, or ought to occur, slowly in the form of gradual steps
==Politics and society==
In [[politics]], the concept of gradualism is used to describe the [[belief]] that change ought to be modified in small, discrete increments rather than abrupt [[change]]s such as [[revolution]]s or uprisings. Gradualism is one of the defining features of political [[conservatism]] and reformism . According to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machiavellian Machiavellian] [[politics]], Congressmen are pushed to agree to gradualism.
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther_King,_Jr Martin Luther King], Jr. was [[opposed]] to the [[idea]] of Gradualism as a [[method]] of eliminating [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racial_segregation_in_the_United_States segregation]. The [[government]] wanted to slowly try to integrate African-Americans and White people into the same [[society]], but many believed it was a way for the government to put off actually doing anything about racial segregation:
<blockquote>"This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy." Martin Luther King Jr.'s ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Have_a_Dream I Have a Dream]'' delivered August 28, 1963 at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC</blockquote>
==Geology and biology==
In the [[natural sciences]], gradualism is a [[theory]] which holds that [[profound]] [[change]] is the cumulative product of slow but [[continuous]] [[processes]], often contrasted with [[catastrophism]]. The theory was proposed in 1795 by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Hutton James Hutton], a Scottish geologist, and was later incorporated into [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Lyell Charles Lyell]'s theory of uniformitarianism. Tenets from both theories were applied to [[biology]] and formed the basis of early [[evolutionary]] theory.
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Darwin Charles Darwin] was [[influenced]] by Charles Lyell's ''Principles of Geology'', which explained both uniformitarian [[methodology]] and theory. Using methodological uniformitarianism, which states that one cannot make an appeal to any [[force]] or [[phenomenon]] which cannot presently be [[observed]] (see [[catastrophism]]), Darwin theorized that the evolutionary [[process]] must occur gradually, not in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saltation_(biology) saltations], since saltations are not presently observed, and extreme deviations from the usual phenotypic variation would be more likely to be selected against[citation needed].
Gradualism is often confused with the concept of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phyletic_gradualism phyletic gradualism]. It is a term coined by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Jay_Gould Stephen Jay Gould] and Niles Eldredge to [[contrast]] with their [[concept]] of Punctuated [[equilibrium]], which is gradualist itself (but accepts that saltation can occur).
==Linguistics and language change==
In [[linguistics]], [[language]] [[change]] is seen as gradual, the product of chain reactions and subject to [[Cycle|cyclic]] drift.[1] The view that [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creole_languages creole languages] are the product of [[catastrophism]] is heavily disputed.
==Notes==
# Henri Wittmann (1983). "http://homepage.mac.com/noula/ling/1983c-morphodia.pdf Les réactions en chaîne en morphologie diachronique]." Actes du Colloque de la Société internationale de linguistique fonctionnelle 10.285-92.
[[Category: General Reference]]
[[Category: Biology]]
[[Category: Earth Science]]
[[Category: Languages and Literature]]
==Etymology==
Medieval [[Latin]] gradualis, from Latin gradus
*Date: [http://www.17th_Century 1658]
==Definitions==
*1 : proceeding by steps or degrees
*2 : moving, changing, or developing by fine or often imperceptible degrees
==Descripion (Gradualism)==
'''Gradualism''' is the [[belief]] that [[changes]] occur, or ought to occur, slowly in the form of gradual steps
==Politics and society==
In [[politics]], the concept of gradualism is used to describe the [[belief]] that change ought to be modified in small, discrete increments rather than abrupt [[change]]s such as [[revolution]]s or uprisings. Gradualism is one of the defining features of political [[conservatism]] and reformism . According to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machiavellian Machiavellian] [[politics]], Congressmen are pushed to agree to gradualism.
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther_King,_Jr Martin Luther King], Jr. was [[opposed]] to the [[idea]] of Gradualism as a [[method]] of eliminating [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racial_segregation_in_the_United_States segregation]. The [[government]] wanted to slowly try to integrate African-Americans and White people into the same [[society]], but many believed it was a way for the government to put off actually doing anything about racial segregation:
<blockquote>"This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy." Martin Luther King Jr.'s ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Have_a_Dream I Have a Dream]'' delivered August 28, 1963 at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC</blockquote>
==Geology and biology==
In the [[natural sciences]], gradualism is a [[theory]] which holds that [[profound]] [[change]] is the cumulative product of slow but [[continuous]] [[processes]], often contrasted with [[catastrophism]]. The theory was proposed in 1795 by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Hutton James Hutton], a Scottish geologist, and was later incorporated into [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Lyell Charles Lyell]'s theory of uniformitarianism. Tenets from both theories were applied to [[biology]] and formed the basis of early [[evolutionary]] theory.
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Darwin Charles Darwin] was [[influenced]] by Charles Lyell's ''Principles of Geology'', which explained both uniformitarian [[methodology]] and theory. Using methodological uniformitarianism, which states that one cannot make an appeal to any [[force]] or [[phenomenon]] which cannot presently be [[observed]] (see [[catastrophism]]), Darwin theorized that the evolutionary [[process]] must occur gradually, not in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saltation_(biology) saltations], since saltations are not presently observed, and extreme deviations from the usual phenotypic variation would be more likely to be selected against[citation needed].
Gradualism is often confused with the concept of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phyletic_gradualism phyletic gradualism]. It is a term coined by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Jay_Gould Stephen Jay Gould] and Niles Eldredge to [[contrast]] with their [[concept]] of Punctuated [[equilibrium]], which is gradualist itself (but accepts that saltation can occur).
==Linguistics and language change==
In [[linguistics]], [[language]] [[change]] is seen as gradual, the product of chain reactions and subject to [[Cycle|cyclic]] drift.[1] The view that [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creole_languages creole languages] are the product of [[catastrophism]] is heavily disputed.
==Notes==
# Henri Wittmann (1983). "http://homepage.mac.com/noula/ling/1983c-morphodia.pdf Les réactions en chaîne en morphologie diachronique]." Actes du Colloque de la Société internationale de linguistique fonctionnelle 10.285-92.
[[Category: General Reference]]
[[Category: Biology]]
[[Category: Earth Science]]
[[Category: Languages and Literature]]
