Edmund Burke was an 18th-century Irish philosopher and statesman who is best known for his contributions to political theory and for his opposition to the French Revolution. Burke’s political thought was heavily influenced by the ideas of the English political philosopher John Locke, and he is often considered a founder of modern conservatism.
One of Burke’s most famous theories is his theory of the “social contract,” which he developed in his work “A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful.” According to this theory, society is a contract between the living, the dead, and those who are yet to be born. This contract is based on the idea of reciprocity, in which individuals agree to give up some of their freedom in exchange for the protection and security provided by society. Burke argued that this contract is essential for the preservation of a free and just society, and that it should be maintained and upheld through a system of constitutional government and the rule of law.
Burke also believed in the importance of tradition and inherited wisdom, and he argued that social and political institutions should be respected and preserved because they are the products of centuries of experience and accumulated knowledge. He was opposed to radical change and argued that it was important to maintain a balance between the needs of the individual and the needs of the community as a whole. Burke’s ideas have had a significant influence on modern conservatism and continue to be influential in political theory and practice.
Quotes by Edmund Burke
- Tyrants seldom want pretexts.
- To innovate is not to reform.
- Falsehood is a perennial spring.
- Beauty is the promise of happiness.
- Ambition can creep as well as soar.
- Custom reconciles us to everything.
- The march of the human mind is slow.
- Bad laws are the worst sort of tyranny.
- Laws, like houses, lean on one another.
- Education is the cheap defense of nations.
- You can never plan the future by the past.
- Good order is the foundation of all things.
- Slavery is a weed that grows on every soil.
- Superstition is the religion of feeble minds.
- Our patience will achieve more than our force.
- Facts are to the mind what food is to the body.
- Nothing is so fatal to religion as indifference.
- Never despair, but if you do, work on in despair.
- Liberty must be limited in order to be possessed.
- The traveller has reached the end of the journey!
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