. Reflections on the Revolution in France (1790)
. A Letter to a Member of the National Assembly (1791)
. Thoughts on French Affairs (1791)
Edmund Burke (1729-97) is often regarded as the philosophical founder of conservatism. Nowhere is this more evident than in his reaction to the French Revolution. Decrying the revolution for its violent radicalism and assault upon all established institutions, he instead championed slow, evolutionary change more in accordance with the organic nature of society. For Burke, the French Revolution was dangerous because it was grounded in an abstract conception of rights, its laws opposing customs rather than developing out of them. While "Reflections on the Revolution in France"(1790) remains Burke's most famous treatment of the events of 1789, he continued to write on the subject in the years that followed. This edition includes two further essays, which elaborate on and embellish Reflections. In his "Letter to a member of the National Assembly"(1791) Burke excoriates Rousseau and calls for external intervention to reverse the revolution, while in "Thoughts on French Affairs"(1791) he discusses the possible wider implications of the revolution for the rest of Europe.
. A Letter to a Member of the National Assembly (1791)
. Thoughts on French Affairs (1791)
Edmund Burke (1729-97) is often regarded as the philosophical founder of conservatism. Nowhere is this more evident than in his reaction to the French Revolution. Decrying the revolution for its violent radicalism and assault upon all established institutions, he instead championed slow, evolutionary change more in accordance with the organic nature of society. For Burke, the French Revolution was dangerous because it was grounded in an abstract conception of rights, its laws opposing customs rather than developing out of them. While "Reflections on the Revolution in France"(1790) remains Burke's most famous treatment of the events of 1789, he continued to write on the subject in the years that followed. This edition includes two further essays, which elaborate on and embellish Reflections. In his "Letter to a member of the National Assembly"(1791) Burke excoriates Rousseau and calls for external intervention to reverse the revolution, while in "Thoughts on French Affairs"(1791) he discusses the possible wider implications of the revolution for the rest of Europe.
