Reflections on the Revolution in France facts for kids
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| Author | Edmund Burke |
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| Country | Great Britain |
| Genre | Political theory |
| Publisher | James Dodsley, Pall Mall, London |
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Publication date
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November 1790 |
| Media type | Pamphlet |
| OCLC | 49294790 |
| 944.04 | |
| LC Class | DC150.B9 |
Reflections on the Revolution in France is an important book written by Edmund Burke. He was a British politician. The book came out in November 1790.
In this book, Burke compares the French Revolution to the way Britain's government worked. Britain has an "unwritten constitution," which means its rules are based on old traditions, not one single document. Burke also argued against British people who supported the French Revolution.
Reflections is famous for being a strong argument against the French Revolution. It helped shape what we call modern conservatism. Conservatism is a way of thinking that values tradition, stability, and slow change. The book is seen as a key text for understanding these ideas. It supports things like having a king or queen, a system with nobles (aristocracy), owning property, and passing power down through families.
This book is known for its strong writing and clear arguments. It became one of Burke's most famous works. Later, in the 1900s, it influenced many thinkers who used Burke's ideas to criticize new political movements.
Contents
What Led to the Book
Burke was a member of the British Parliament. He belonged to the Whig party. During his career, he often supported liberal ideas. He wanted to limit the power of the king. He spoke out against treating Catholics badly in Ireland. He also supported the American colonies in their fight for independence.
Because of these actions, many people saw Burke as a supporter of freedom. So, people were surprised when he strongly criticized the French Revolution. He called it "a disaster."
How the Book Started
After the fall of the Bastille in 1789, a French noble asked Burke for his thoughts on the Revolution. Burke wrote two letters in reply. The second, longer letter became Reflections on the Revolution in France. He wrote it after reading a speech by Richard Price in January 1790.
The book was published in November 1790. It became a bestseller very quickly. Thirteen thousand copies were sold in just five weeks. By the next September, it had been printed eleven times. People were especially interested in Burke's vivid descriptions of how the French king and queen were treated by the angry crowds. At the time Burke wrote, the king and queen were held prisoner in Paris. They were executed three years later.
Burke believed that freedom and equality were complex ideas. He thought true equality was something only God could judge. He also felt that liberty should be guided by laws, not used as an excuse to do anything one wanted. He was uncomfortable with sudden, big changes. He believed the revolutionaries would face more problems because of their actions. He felt they didn't understand that "there are no rights without corresponding duties."
Burke thought that people could not handle too much power. He famously said, "When men play God, presently they behave like devils." This shows why he was wary of the revolutionaries.
Burke's Main Ideas
In Reflections, Burke argued that the French Revolution would end badly. He believed this because its ideas were too abstract. They ignored how complex human nature and society truly are. He focused on practical solutions, not just theories. He wrote that it's more useful to ask a farmer or doctor about food or medicine than a philosopher.
Burke believed that society should be like a living thing. He thought people and society are incredibly complex. This made him disagree with thinkers who tried to simplify politics too much.
Rights and Tradition
As a Whig, Burke did not believe kings had a "divine right" to rule. He also thought people had the right to remove a government that was unfair. However, he strongly supported private property, tradition, and what he called "prejudice." By "prejudice," he meant sticking to values even if they didn't have a clear logical reason. He thought these things gave citizens a stake in their country.
He argued for slow, careful changes to the government, not sudden revolutions. He warned that ideas like "liberty" and "rights of man" could be used to justify unfair rule. He saw inherited rights, like those in the Magna Carta and the Declaration of Right in England, as strong and lasting. These rights provided continuity, like tradition and property. He believed that abstract rights, however, could change easily with politics. Instead, he wanted specific, clear rights protected by law to prevent government oppression.
Burke also said that people's "prejudices" (their deeply held, often unexamined beliefs) could make their good habits stronger. He thought people were better off using the "general bank and capital of nations and of ages" (the wisdom of past generations) rather than just their own thoughts.
A Prediction Comes True
Burke predicted that the disorder of the Revolution would make the army rebellious. He thought a popular general would then take control of the government. This prediction came true when Napoleon Bonaparte took power years later.
Most members of the British Parliament disagreed with Burke at first. His popularity went down. As the French Revolution became more divided, the Whig Party also split. Burke became a leader of the "Old Whigs," who often debated the "New Whigs" about the French Revolution.
Burke left Parliament later in his life. He continued to care about people suffering from unfair governments. He even adopted French and Irish children. Before he died, he asked his family to bury him secretly.
How the Book Influenced Others
Reflections on the Revolution in France was widely read when it came out in 1790. Not everyone in Britain liked Burke's kind words about France, their old enemy. Some thought he was losing his mind or was secretly Catholic.
The book quickly led to other famous responses. Mary Wollstonecraft wrote A Vindication of the Rights of Men in 1790. Then, Thomas Paine wrote Rights of Man in 1791. However, Burke's work was popular with King George III and other conservative thinkers.
Historically, Reflections became a key book for conservatism. This happened especially when some of Burke's predictions came true. For example, the Reign of Terror in France (1793-1794) saw thousands of people executed. This led to Napoleon Bonaparte's rise to power, which some saw as a military dictatorship. Burke had predicted both the violence and the rise of a military leader.
In the 19th century, French historian Hippolyte Taine repeated Burke's ideas. He argued that the French Revolution made the government too powerful and centralized. He believed it replaced nobles with a new elite who were even worse.
In the 20th century, conservatives in Western countries used Burke's ideas to criticize new revolutions. For example, economist Friedrich Hayek was influenced by Burke. Writer Christopher Hitchens said the power of Reflections came from it being the first serious argument that revolutions can "devour their own children." This means revolutions can turn against their own people and goals.
However, some historians say Burke's arguments don't fully match what actually happened. Historian Alfred Cobban said that while Burke's book is great literature and political theory, its historical explanations of the Revolution's causes are "misleading." Cobban noted that Burke was very knowledgeable about America, Ireland, and India, but relied on weaker information about France. He concluded that the situation in France was indeed bad enough to cause a revolution.
In 2020, Reflections on the Revolution in France was banned in China. This was part of a wider effort by the Chinese government to censor certain books.
See also
- Considerations on France (1796) by Joseph de Maistre
