What Is The Relationship Between Edmund Burke And The American Revolution

Edmund Burke Throughout history philosophers have attempted to explain the ins and outs of human society. These explanations have helped shape our perception of the world and the society we live in. One such philosopher is Edmund Burke, the father of modern conservatism. Considering Burke's stance on the American Revolution, it is quite surprising that he strongly opposed the French Revolution. In his most well known work, Reflections on the revolution in France, Burke argued that the revolution went against the rights of all the people involved and against the conventions that held their society together. Burke believed that living in a society, people have an equal opportunity to do anything for their self preservation and happiness as long as it does not interfere with that of others, and ‘‘in this partnership all men have equal rights, but not to equal things''. He also believed, however, that people have no right to that which can hurt them or is beyond reason. This is how he felt about the French revolution because he believed that it wouldn't lead to peace or democracy but to self destruction and anarchy.
Burke stated that ‘‘Society requires not only that the passions of individuals should be subjected, but that even in the mass and body, as well as in the individuals, the inclinations of men should be frequently thwarted" This meant that he believed for people to run a government and keep a prosperous society people must abandon their reckless and careless nature.
They need to adopt a lifestyle of moderation, because releasing these passions/desires would have a catastrophic effect on society. Therefore men need an outside power to judge their actions in a fair and balanced way as possible by that
power.

If civil society be the offspring of convention, then that convention must be the law which it abides by. That convention must limit and modify all the descriptions of constitutions which are created under it. Every sort of legislative, judicial, or executive power are its creatures. They can have no being in any other state of things; and how can any man claim under the conventions of civil society, rights which do not so much as infer its subsistence? Rights which are absolutely revolting to it?

The preceding quote from Burke explains what he thinks makes up society and what he believes leads to the downfall of society. To him, society is built on convention, meaning customs and practices generally accepted by the common people as moral and advantageous. However, when someone tries to establish a government based on principles outside of these conventions, Burke believes, government is predestined to fail. Burke's reasoning is that if your revolution is based on achieving a right that isn't even yours to begin with based on convention you are doomed to failure (clearly he is referring to the French Revolution). In his writings, Burke also made a valid, yet strong point against those who supported movements like the French Revolution. He called them hypocrites and activist. Burke felt that in the case of the French Revolution, moderation was needed and that those who supported the conflict were too proud of them-selves or infatuated with their own theories to see the damage they were causing. He believed that their approach was not logical and went against convention.

Burke called for fairness and moderation when it came to creating a prosperous government and believed ‘‘revolutionaries'' who took matters into their own hands for the wrong reasons were destined to fail. This view helped shape what is known as conservatism today.

World history has been full of philosophers who helped shape our modern political philosophy, but Burke is more than a deserving member of the elite philosophical minds.