Java redefined the term MVC a long time after Smalltalk originally defined the term in the 70's. Rails didn't redefine the term, it much later copied the (poorly) redefined term from Java and tweaked it a little. Smalltalk MVC and Java/Rails MVC are EXTREMELY different. Java and Ruby's MVC are quite similar (and loosely based on a superficial misunderstanding Smalltalk's MVC).