Edmund Burke: an interesting historical figure

During my research for a previous post, I came across Edmund Burke. He is a name that I have heard before but knew very little about the man. I decided to research him and discover who he was and what contributions he made to history. Edmund Burke was an Irish statesman, author, orator, political theorist and philosopher. He served as a member of parliament (MP) from 1766 to 1794 in the House of Commons with the Whig Party. In the 20^th century, he is widely regarded as the philosophical founder of modern British conservatism.

Burke was born in Dublin, Ireland on January 29, 1729 to Mary (nee Nagle) and Richard Burke. His mother was Roman Catholic and his father was a member of the Church of Ireland. Burke adhered to his father’s faith and remained a practicing Anglican throughout his life. He would be educated at a Quaker school in Ballitore, County Kildare. He started Trinity College Dublin in 1744. On March 12, 1757 he would marry Jane Mary Nugent (1734-1812). Burke was first elected to the House of Commons in December 1765 representing the region of Wendover. He argued strongly against unrestrained royal power and thought that the role of the political parties was to maintain a principled opposition to prevent abuses by the king and the government. He would leave the House of Commons in 1780. He would retreat to his country estate where he died July 9, 1797.

He became a proponent of underpinning (solid foundation) virtues with manners in society and of the importance of religious institutions for the moral stability and good of the state (A Vindication of Natural Society, 1756). He criticized the British treatment of the American colonies. He also supported the rights of the colonists to resist authority; however, he opposed the attempts for independence. He urged to make peace with the colonies and to avoid war. He also supported Catholic Emancipation which called for the reducing and removing many restrictions on Roman Catholics in the UK. His support of the Catholic Emancipation and other unpopular causes cost him is seat in 1780. He also supported the impeachment of Warren Hastings for corruption. Hastings was an Englishman who served as the first Governor of the Presidency of Fort William (Bengal) and the head of the Supreme Council of Bengal, effectively being the first Governor-General of India from 1773-1785.

Most scholars agree that Burke had a gift for deep analysis; however, his work was controversial. Supporters like poet William Wordsworth would call Burke “the most sagacious politician of his age.” Opponents, like Karl Marx, would call him a bourgeois stooge of the English ruling class. Burke’s legacy in contained in his extensive writings. He explained a coherent system of ideas about the nature of man, the organic state, the benefits of prejudice, the dangers of government by secret consensus and the role of political parties. With the nature of man, Burke condemned the idea that social harmony can be achieved once differences of race, nationality, culture, gender and ability are removed. He would say that humans are not abstract but “distinctive identities, that we love our kin above strangers and that this must affect the type of society we create. It is not morally bad, it is simply the way we are.” He would also call equality a “monstrous fiction.” According to Andrew Webster, “At worst, ambitious elites use equality as a pretext to reallocate resources to themselves. At best, well-intentioned people see equality as no more than a benign aspiration. They think it would be just in theory but of course not when applied to themselves in practice, lest this endanger their own privileges. This is perhaps the greater error. "Abstract principles, however appealing, cannot be applied directly to solve real political problems. Any attempt to do so will have futile or harmful results.”

In conclusion, Edmund Burke was a man whose importance can be seen today. Reading some of his writings, I was surprised how well he described the future with the political thought of the time. I can see what he warned about in the political climate of today. He acknowledged that humans are unique and cannot be expected to behave in a certain way. Humans nature will always surprise us. Just think about how we are surprised when someone can to horrible things to another human being or when someone does amazing acts of heroism or charity for strangers. I am interested in reading further about Edmund Burke as this post only briefly touches on the man, his ideals and his legacy.

Reference

Webster, Andrew. Edmund Burke’s Legacy www.bigeye.com/burke1.html and www.bigeye.com/burke2.html. Retrieved January 23, 2019