Selected Writings and Speeches

by Edmund Burke, Peter J. Stanlis (Editor)

No conservative library is complete without the thought of Edmund Burke, the founder of modern conservatism.

Genres: Philosophy, Politics, Nonfiction, History

Paperback

First published January 1, 1963

About the author

After A Philosophical Inquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful , aesthetic treatise of 1757, Edmund Burke, also noted Irish British politician and writer, supported the cause of the American colonists in Parliament but took a more conservative position in his Reflections on the Revolution in France in 1790.

Edmund Burke, an Anglo statesman, author, orator, and theorist, served for many years in the House of Commons as a member of the Whig party. People remember mainly the dispute with George III, great king, and his leadership and strength. The latter made Burke to lead figures, dubbed the "old" faction of the Whig against new Charles James Fox. Burke published a work and attempted to define triggering of emotions and passions in a person. Burke worked and founded the Annual Register, a review. People often regard him as the Anglo founder.

Reviews

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I get older, I realize that I find myself more and more in the minority position, but how could someone NOT love Burke.

[Parker Samelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I agree more with Edmund Burke than I do with almost any modern political thinker, which is remarkable considering how old his writing is. He comes down with very reasonable and sound positions on the American revolution, the woes of Irish Catholics, and the French Revolution.

[Brandon Whitaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will preface these remarks by saying that I did not read the whole of the work, but rather engaged primarily with his Reflections on the Revolution, electing also to sample a few others of the several writings in this book. Burke is a man in context, and to do him justice requires an awareness of history that I admittedly do not possess. But even I in my ignorance of such things was able to enjoy these works immensely, through a combination of outside research and a dedicated gleaning of context. Burke is eloquent and forceful, and his principles shine through all of his writings. He is dedicated to the practical, and he maintains a clear picture of what precisely is practically viable. Despite the variety of issues that he engages, and in many cases the lack of an abstract statement of political philosophy, he nonetheless produces a consistent image of the pragmatic and thoughtful statesman. There are bound to be points of disagreement -- I, for my part, am no fan of the regard for general religion over the particularity of revealed truth that typifies his era, nor do I, being as a modern American no kind of a dedicated royal subject, find his insistence on the natural preeminence of royalty and nobility all that convincing. But he is still a treat to read, and in my opinion a worthy influence, when taken thoughtfully and in context. I was particularly impressed by his Vindication of Natural Society, which struck me as more eloquently argued in parody than many works I've seen produced in all seriousness.

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this book is no substitute for reading the unabridged editions of Burke it does succeed as a sort of one-stop shopping overview of Burke's writings and thought.

[Eduardo Garcia-Gaspar · Rating 4 out of 5]

¿Interesado en el pensamiento conservador? Burke es visto como el creador de esa idea y este libro contiene sus ideas más importantes.