reflection on revolution in france burke

For example, instead of providing for the election of England’s governors, it laid down a more precise line of Protestant succession, seeing this as a guarantor of English liberties. In his sermon, Price claims that, according to the principles of the 1688 Glorious Revolution, English people have the right “to choose our own governors” “to cashier them for misconduct” and “to frame a government for ourselves.” Burke argues that Price’s interpretation of the Glorious Revolution is inaccurate, and that its subsequent Declaration of Right laid down no such rights.

Burke explains that he does not approve of the French Revolution, or the Revolution Society, which is in contact with France’s National Assembly and seeks to extend Revolutionary principles in England.īurke begins by critiquing a sermon that was recently delivered by Dissenting minister and political radical Richard Price. He also supplies an extended note on the text, a biographical guide, and a bibliography, helpfully presented in discursive form.Edmund Burke writes to a young French correspondent, Depont, who has asked for his views of the current revolutionary events taking place in France. The editor's notes are also fuller than those of any previous edition, glossing many literary and biblical allusions missed by previous editors. But the Introduction is more than a compendium of information it is a thoughtful, coherent interpretation of Burke and his book. It situates the Reflections in Burke's life and the development of his ideas, the history of English political thought, the debate about the French Revolution, and the debate the book itself inspired. The editor's Introduction is much more extensive than that of any previous edition. It is certain to become the standard edition for scholars and students alike. Alone among recent versions, it reprints the text of the first edition of the Reflections, and shows how Burke amended it as his knowledge of the Revolution deepened. This edition aims to locate Burke once again in his contemporary political and intellectual setting. Reflections on the Revolution in France is a classic work in a range of fields from history through political science to literature, and securely holds its place among the canon of 'great books.' Yet its meaning is still contested and often misunderstood, equally by those who wish to admire or to denigrate Burke for his present-day relevance. The French Revolution is a defining moment in world history, and usually it has been first approached by English-speaking readers through the picture painted of it by Edmund Burke.

Reflection on revolution in france burke