Posted: September 12th, 2023

Edmund Burke Classic Theories

Edmund Burke Classic Theories
Edmund Burke: A Classic Theorist of Conservatism

Edmund Burke (1729-1797) was an Anglo-Irish statesman, philosopher, and writer who is widely regarded as the founder of modern conservatism. He was a member of Parliament for various constituencies and a leading figure in the Whig Party, which opposed the arbitrary rule of the British monarchy and supported the rights of the American colonies. He is best known for his Reflections on the Revolution in France (1790), a scathing critique of the French Revolution and its radical principles, which he saw as a threat to the established order, tradition, and religion in Europe.

In this blog post, I will explore some of the key ideas and themes that shaped Burke’s political thought and made him a classic theorist of conservatism.

Social Contract

Burke rejected the notion of a social contract as a rational basis for political authority and obligation. He argued that society was not a voluntary association of individuals who consented to a set of rules, but a complex organism that evolved over time and inherited the wisdom and experience of previous generations. He wrote:

“Society is indeed a contract…It is a partnership in all science; a partnership in all art; a partnership in every virtue, and in all perfection. As the ends of such a partnership cannot be obtained in many generations, it becomes a partnership not only between those who are living, but between those who are living, those who are dead, and those who are to be born.”

For Burke, society was based on natural and historical ties that bound people together in a common culture, identity, and loyalty. He valued the customs, institutions, and laws that had emerged from this long process of social development and preserved the stability and continuity of society. He opposed any radical change or innovation that would disrupt this organic order and endanger the social fabric.

Rights and Liberties

Burke also challenged the idea of natural rights as universal and abstract entitlements that belonged to every human being by virtue of their reason. He argued that rights were not inherent in human nature, but derived from the social context and historical circumstances in which people lived. He wrote:

“The rights of men are in a sort of middle, incapable of definition, but not impossible to be discerned…They are not qualities easy to be described…They are therefore better felt than defined; better understood by examples than by rules.”

For Burke, rights were not absolute or unlimited, but relative and conditional. They were not claims against society, but obligations to society. They were not based on individual self-interest, but on social duty and common good. He believed that rights should be balanced by responsibilities, regulated by law, and moderated by prudence.

Burke defended the rights and liberties of the British people against the tyranny of the crown, but he did not endorse the rights and liberties of the French revolutionaries against the monarchy. He distinguished between the ancient and established rights that had been secured by tradition and history in Britain, and the new and abstract rights that had been proclaimed by reason and ideology in France. He supported the former as legitimate and beneficial, but denounced the latter as illegitimate and dangerous.

Democracy and Aristocracy

Burke was skeptical of democracy as a form of government that empowered the masses at the expense of the elites. He argued that democracy was prone to demagoguery, factionalism, corruption, and violence. He wrote:

“The occupation of an hair-dresser, or of a working tallow-chandler, cannot be a matter of honour to any person—to say nothing of a number of other more servile employments. Such descriptions of men ought not to suffer oppression from the state; but the state suffers oppression if such as they…are permitted to rule.”

For Burke, democracy was incompatible with the complexity and diversity of society, which required different levels of authority and representation. He advocated for a mixed constitution that combined elements of monarchy, aristocracy, and democracy. He respected the role of the king as the head of state who embodied the dignity and unity of the nation. He admired the role of the nobility as the leaders of society who possessed the wealth, education, and virtue to govern wisely. He acknowledged the role of the commons as the representatives of society who expressed
the interests and opinions of various groups.

Burke did not oppose popular participation in politics, but he preferred it to be indirect and limited. He favored a system of representation that delegated power to elected officials who acted on behalf of their constituents rather than according to their instructions. He believed that representatives should be guided by their own judgment rather than by public opinion. He wrote:

“Your representative owes you not his industry only but his judgment; and he betrays instead of serving you if he sacrifices it to your opinion.”

Burke also supported a system of party that organized politics around principles rather than personalities. He was a co-founder of the Rockingham Whigs, a faction that opposed the policies of the Tory government and advocated for constitutional reform, colonial rights, and religious toleration. He saw party as a means of promoting public interest rather than private ambition. He wrote:

“Party is a body of men united for promoting by their joint endeavours the national interest upon some particular principle in which they are all agreed.”

View on Constitution

Burke had a flexible and pragmatic view of the constitution as a set of rules and practices that governed the political system. He did not regard the constitution as a fixed and formal document, but as a living and evolving entity. He wrote:

“Our constitution is a prescriptive constitution; it is a constitution whose sole authority is that it has existed time out of mind.”

For Burke, the constitution was not based on abstract principles, but on concrete realities. It was not derived from reason, but from experience. It was not imposed by design, but by accident. He valued the constitution for its adaptability and functionality rather than its rationality and consistency.

Burke supported constitutional reform when it was necessary and beneficial, but he opposed constitutional revolution when it was arbitrary and destructive. He approved of the Glorious Revolution of 1688, which established the supremacy of Parliament over the monarchy and secured the rights and liberties of the people. He disapproved of the French Revolution of 1789, which abolished the monarchy and the nobility and established a republic based on equality and liberty. He praised the former as a moderate and prudent change that preserved the essence of the constitution, but condemned the latter as a radical and violent change that subverted the foundations of society.

Conclusion

Edmund Burke was a classic theorist of conservatism who defended the values of order, tradition, and religion against the forces of change, innovation, and reason. He was a brilliant writer and speaker who influenced generations of political thinkers and actors in Britain and beyond. He was a complex and contradictory figure who combined elements of liberalism and conservatism, pragmatism and idealism, realism and romanticism. He was a man of his time who addressed the issues and challenges of his era, but he was also a man for all times who offered insights and lessons for posterity.

Works Cited

: Burke, Edmund. Reflections on the Revolution in France. Edited by L.G. Mitchell, Oxford University Press, 2009, p. 194.

: Burke, Edmund. A Letter to a Noble Lord. In The Works of Edmund Burke, Vol. 9, Henry G. Bohn, 1854, p. 165.

: Burke, Edmund. Reflections on the Revolution in France. Edited by L.G. Mitchell, Oxford University Press, 2009, p. 152.

: Burke, Edmund. Speech to the Electors at Bristol at His Election in 1774. In The Works of Edmund Burke, Vol. 2, Henry G. Bohn, 1854, p. 95.

: Burke, Edmund. Thoughts on the Cause of Present Discontents. In The Works of Edmund Burke, Vol. 1, Henry G. Bohn, 1854, p. 456.

: Burke, Edmund. An Appeal from the New to the Old Whigs. In The Works of Edmund Burke,
Vol. 4, Henry G. Bohn, 1854, p. 53.

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