Edmund Burke (1729-1797)
Conciliation with America
(1775)
Historical Context: Burke’s
Biography
– Irish-born
– Marquis Rockingham
– Whig MP (Member of Parliament)
– Great political theoretician
– Journalist – 4 London daily newspapers
– Eloquent writer and speaker
– Major works: “Thoughts on the Cause of
the Present Discontents” (1770s), “Speech
to the Electors of Bristol” (1780),
“Reflections on the Revolution in France”
(1790)
Historical Context: Burke’s
Position in Society
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Son of Dublin lawyer
“Mixed marriage”
Education
Public figure
Ideology: conservative, founding father,
critic of liberalism and Enlightenment
• natural pillars of society
• Natural developments of States (Hegel
later)
• But also a Whig
Historical Context: Burke’s
Views on Major Issues
• Rapid Historical transformations
• Debate between liberals and
conservatives
• French Revolution – results of abstract
rationalism of the Enlightenment
• But concerned with liberty
Historical Context: Burke’s
Views on Major Issues
• Movement towards political democratization,
concepts of popular government
• Increasing role of Parliament – “isthmus
between arbitrary power and anarchy”
(Burke)
• But who should be in Parliament?
• Concept of representation: virtual vs. liberal
(Wilkes, British radicals of the 1760s and
1770s) vs. functionalist
• Burke: natural aristocracy (people = “swinish
multitude”), but all interests in society
should be represented
Historical Context: Burke’s
Views on Major Issues
• Tensions between Great Britain and its
colonies
• Supported representation for the Irish
and the American colonies
• Idea of the British empire
• colonies to decide certain matters and
have de facto civil liberties
• A right to tax could be a right not to tax
• English colonies as part of British
empire could levy their own taxes
Historical Context: Document’s
Audience
• Members of British parliament
• A minority position
• Also colonists
Document Analysis: Main Points
1.
Use of force is not the best option
– Not the British way
– Last resort. The use of force leads to uncertain
consequences.
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“ My next objection is its uncertainty. Terror is not always the
effect of force; and an armament is not a victory. If you do not
succeed, you are without resource; for, conciliation failing, force
remains; but, force failing, no further hope of reconciliation is
left….”
More destruction than good, alienation
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“A further objection to force is, that you impair the object by your
very endeavours to preserve it. The thing you fought for is not the
thing which you recover; but depreciated, sunk, wasted and
consumed in the contest….”
A temporary measure: subdue, but not govern
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“the use of force alone is but temporary. It may subdue for a
moment; but it does not remove the necessity of subduing again:
and a nation is not governed , which is perpetually to be
conquered.”
Main Points continued:
2. American colonies are different from Britain
and as such requires their own government
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Liberty
Geographically remote
Only its own government can cope with
problems
3. Britain should respect rights of its colony
Edmund Burke, A Founder of
Conservatism
• Founder of Conservatism: “Burke maintained that society
was a contract, but ‘the state ought not to be considered as
nothing better than a partnership agreement in a trade of
pepper and coffee, to be taken up for a temporary interest
and to be dissolved by the fancy of the parties.’ The state
was a partnership but one ‘not only between those who are
living, but between those who are living, those who are
dead and those who are to be born.’ No one generation
therefore has the right to destroy this partnership; instead,
each generation has the duty to preserve and transmit it to
the next. Burke advised against the violent overthrow of a
government by revolution, but he did not reject the
possibility of change. Sudden change was unacceptable,
but that did not eliminate gradual or evolutionary
improvements.” (Spielvogel, p. 612)
Document’s significance
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Impact on society
Impact on later generations
What groups were impacted
Was impact important, if so, why?
– the use of force and sovereignty,
– sensitivity to context
– “western” values of restrain and
civility