Edmund Burke
Irish-British statesman and philosopher who founded modern conservatism with his Reflections on the Revolution in France. He argued that inherited institutions embody accumulated wisdom that abstract reason cannot replace. His attack on the French Revolution provoked Paine's Rights of Man and launched the modern left-right political debate.
Works
- Reflections on the Revolution in FrancePolitical philosophy opposing the French Revolution and radical change
- A Philosophical Enquiry into the Sublime and BeautifulAesthetics distinguishing the sublime and beautiful in perception and nature
- Speech on Conciliation with AmericaPolitical speech arguing for conciliation with American colonies over war
- A Vindication of Natural SocietyEarly satire critiquing natural society through ironic philosophical dialogue
- Letters on a Regicide PeacePolitical letters against peace and reconciliation with revolutionary France
- Thoughts on the Cause of the Present DiscontentsPolitical essay on causes of public discontent in eighteenth-century Britain