Reflections On The French Revo Essay, Research Paper
Edmund Burke s Reflections on the French Revolution
Edmund Burke s renowned book of 1790 is as famous as any text in the history of
politics, and as controversial. Reflections on the French Revolution has been and will
most likely continue to be the subject of many disagreements, however its distinction is
usually admitted even by those whose ideology makes them an opponent of its principles.
Burke claimed that the revolution went wrong because its leaders tried to scrap an entire
political system and replace it overnight rather than change things slowly and within the
current system. He relates this to the outlook of the philosophes, political rationalists
whose methods lacked realism in an era where abstractness can be fatal. These are also
points that few would argue with, and Burke makes strong cases for both of these points.
It is true that the wholesale abolition of an entire order in France in 1789 created immense
confusion during the period of transformation. The old Feudalism system was declared
dead, which meant the dissolution of institutions such as the army, local government, the
judicial system, and the clergy. As this relates to philosophes political ideology, it did
indeed consist of in good part a general adage without much detail creating a revolution
that was good at destruction put not helpful in the rebuilding process.
Whether Burke s analysis of the French Revolution was right or wrong, the events
in France stimulated him to formulate his political philosophy. Burke s sense for the
subtle points in politics makes this an important book. The leading idea emerging from
this piece of literature was that society is a vast and complicated historical product which
may not be tinkered with at will like a machine. It is a repository for collective human
wisdom to be regarded with reverence, and if it is reformed it must be with due respect for
the continuity of its programs and traditions. There were other related ideas: that a
political community is something made by history, an unanalyzed bond between men
which makes free government possible; that the social organism has its natural aristocracy
which common types of men must and do and respect in a healthy society; and that general
rules and abstract principles are no help to politics.
With the disdain for the abstract rights proclaimed by the French Burke tried to
make clear the real rights of man. Burke certainly believed in rights, but he stressed the
degree to which men in entering civil society must give up some of their liberties in order
to gain advantages of government. He distrusted the restless innovator who had no
patience to search out the wisdom of their ancestors but must draw amateur blueprints for
the total reconstruction of society, as if they were the first to ever think about it. The
science of government is not for those, whose visionary schemes are abstractly true but
are morally and politically false. Burke was pious and felt that political society was sound
only on Christian foundations. To Burke two human needs were evident above all others,
history and religion. Man is a religious animal who, if he did not have Christianity would
turn to some other , and probably less satisfactory faith. He is a social animal, who would
be no more than a beast if he were cut off from the fabric of ancient custom and tradition
that sustains him. Reverence toward God and toward the social order are therefore the
two great duties, and they are linked, for history is the revelation of God s purpose.
Perhaps it was not necessarily conservative in the most obvious sense of this
word. In suggesting an empirical approach to the enormous complexity of human affairs,
in place of the vague sloganizing of the philosophes, Burke may well be viewed as the
founder of a real science of social reform, rather than as a hidebound conservative. He
was certainly not opposed to change, if properly carried out, and his own career, that of a
person of humble birth, consisted of one passionate crusade after another. His more
famous crusades were on behalf of American independence, Ireland, India, and against the
French Revolution. He always seemed to need a great cause to serve, some monstrous
injustice to repair.
There was also the very conservative Burke, the Burke traits that came to be
thought of as conservative. The feeling of piety for the social order, the mistrust of
harebrained reformers with a one shot plan, the organic concept of social growth, these
were the foundation of the conservative faith. A great deal of Burke has been accepted as
essential political wisdom for anyone who wants to participate in politics. The fea
Burke that are less appealing to most moderns include his belief in the aristocracy, with
the accompanying rejection of equality.
Burke lacked faith in the capacity of individuals to think and reason things out for
themselves. He viewed society as a collective, and that collective was more responsible
and rational than was the individual. Man, in his opinion, is by nature unequal; all men are
not created equal. He also believed man to be very religious by nature, and that politics
should be closely intertwined with religion.
Burke believed society was a contract, not easily broken, between those who have
lived, are living, and are going to live. The aim of this contract is for all of society to
achieve the good life as a whole. Society develops because individuals lack the ability to
govern his own actions. It is up to the aristocracy, the more enlightened class in society,
to see that the present generation builds on the culture established by the past for the
future. Society develops for the good of the whole. Burke also believes that people
should absolutely obey the government. The people obey because they were taught to
obey, like countless generations before them. Burke s society would have a deep
reverence for the past. The past would be responsible for many of societies laws, these
laws coming from a countries customs. Custom is the groundwork or roots of society,
and to challenge or disrupt them could undermind it.
To Burke the best form of government would be an aristocracy that rules with a
monarch, the old British system. Burke believed that the aristocracy was part of God s
scheme for governing society. It is his idea that the aristocracy, and people with wealth
were the keeper of societies political wisdom. He also believes in an idea called virtual
representation because he feels only men with property should be allowed to vote. People
have common interests and Burke believed that the landed people act on the behalf of the
non-landed people. Burke strongly believes in the system that has evolved in Britain,
though he believed that there can be no system of politics that can be used in all nations.
Politics is about dealing with situations, and there is no exact way of accomplishing
political ends. For Burke tradition is the democracy of the dead, the appeal to historical
experience, and a recognition of the role of individuals in history. In my opinion, taking
into account Burke s ideas of a reverence for culture and the past, that the best form of
government is what best suits a countries culture. The government that has evolved over
time.
Burke believes that humans have different capacities for freedom. Basically,
freedom and liberty are class issues, and rights are closely related to class, rank, and
privilege. Basically he doesn t mention anything about basic fundamental rights other than
the government should not be oppressive. According to Burke humans are absolutely not
equal, and should not be equal. To Burke inequality among classes is one of the
foundations of society, and is natural. To try and level out the inequality among classes
only disrupts the natural order, and never ends in equality. The higher classes should also
have all the power, and control the lower classes. The aristocracy should be the ruling
class in Burke s society. He believes that the aristocracy is part of God s plan to rule
society. However it is wrong for the aristocracy to use their power to oppress the lower
classes.
Burke was a philosophical conservative on almost all issues. While opposed to the
emerging liberalism in Europe, he was also equally critical of revolutionary change or
unchanging reaction. Revolution was especially detrimental, for it sweeps away all sound
principles of political action and discards nature s guidance on a nation. Political
institutions were part of an order which included nature in which things were kept fast in
their place, as they should be. The task of statesmen was, therefore, a threefold
obligation: (1) to take account of all relevant circumstances:(2) to act on the basis of
prudence and caution, which were the cardinal virtues; and (3) to preserve and improve
the legacy of tradition. In differentiating between different actions in history, Burke stated
that the French Revolution was a complete break with the past, and therefore a negative
for the country. However the English, American, and Indian rebellions of the near past
tried to recover past privileges and traditions, and therefore were positive. Many of
Burke s thoughts were attacked by liberal journalists including Thomas Paine, whose
attack was such a harsh blow to Burke that he never fully recovered.