Reflections on The Revolution in France And Other Writings: Edmund Burke (Everyman's Library CLASSICS)

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Burke was a very complex and multifaceted person. His contribution to political thought was immense. This volume pays tribute to Burke's many achievements. It is a massive accomplishment. A superb chronology is provided which is of very great value for admirers of Burke. The introduction is also excellent.Born in Dublin in 1730 his father was a Protestant while his mother was a Catholic. His first school was run by a Quaker. He later went to Trinity College. This mixed upbringing almost certainly made Burke embrace toleration. It was literary ambition which drew him into politics. From the outset he impressed as a speaker and someone who realised that political decisions had implications outside of GB. Burke immersed himself in the problem of the American colonies. It was he that argued, in contrast to North, throughout for a peaceful solution to the growing conflict.Burke soon established himself as a master of philosophy, prose and literature. Prudence became linked to his name. He also defended causes about which he felt deeply, for example he hated slavery. His campaigns to abolish it were intensely passionate. Of course, he had his opponents. Some said he was far too metaphysical. Others said he was an opportunist.Burke fought for rhe cause of India, it was a cause that impeded his career but moral feelings made him press on . He then devoted enormous energy and moral fervour to censure the revolution in France. He was scornful of those who spouted the rights of man. In his Reflections he castigated the revolutionaries as opportunist and hypocrites. Republicans, he said, soon became courtiers. His opposition to the Revolution led to a split among the Whigs and a separation from Fox.This volume includes private correspondence about, for example, justice, and his earliest political writings. He believed that the Revolution had posed a very major danger to social life. His critics, were quick to point out that his defence of freedom for Americans sharply differed from his criticism of freedom for French peasants. For some Whigs he was a traitor, for others simply confused. Burke always believed that the prosperity of the needy depended on property and that property could only be safeguarded under stable government. He constantly feared a return to the early 17th century when jusice and stable government were scarce and at risk.Norman emphasises we must always view and judge Burke in the context of the 18th century together with the whole range of his writings. Much of what he said and wrote is still of value today. The author also makes it clear that it is too simplistic to label him as a conservative or a liberal.Burke was a great thinker who devoted much time an energy in attempts to coordinate politics and morality. He was able to produce penetrating nuggets of political and moral wisdom. His defence of our hereditary Monarchy has never been bettered. His range as a thinker was enormous.We should be grateful for Jesse Norman's excellent editing of this superb new Everyman edition of Burke's writings, speeches and private correspondence. This book is a worthy addition to her many books on Burke.Very highly recommended.

This is a handsome collection of writing from Burke's books, speeches and letters, with an informative introduction and notes. The title piece, Reflections, is here in it's entirety, but occupies only 200 of the 1000 pages. The other pieces range from Burke's early interest in aesthetics, to his main political concerns: the rights of the colonists in America and the Catholics in Ireland, the welfare of Indians under the East India Company, the tyranny created by the French Revolution, and the established freedoms and obligations of Englishmen. Throughout, Burke's arguments are pragmatic. He is wary of abstract political goals, and particularly of unintended consequences. Prudence is his watchword. Often this serves him very well; occasionally, it leads to positions that now look archaic, such as his opposition to universal suffrage.Some of the pieces here are abridged, but even so, there is much that is of historical interest, rather than timeless wisdom. Burke never wrote a complete summary of his beliefs, They are scattered throughout this collection, or left to be extrapolated from his comments on specific situations. Furthermore, his prose style is grandiloquent. Sometimes this produces arguments of notable grace, but often he takes the scenic route to his point. For these reasons, those wanting a concise account of Burke's philosophy might want to buy a book about him, rather than by him. However, if you wish to read some of his work, this collection provides a much fuller picture than Reflections alone. And one piece on it's own justifies any extra expense: Burke's Letter to a Noble Lord is poignant summary of his career, and a withering, witty put down of an adversary.