Opposition to the French Revolution - Essay Example

In Burke's political career, he mercilessly defended the constitutional limitation of the Crown's authority. He ignored the religious persecution of Catholics in his native land of Ireland. He aired the grievances of Britain's American colonies. He contributed to American Independence and vigorously followed the impeachment of Warren Hastings, who was the General Governor of British India, for abuse of power and corruption. In his Reflections, Burke stated that the French Revolution would come to an end in a very damaging way because its abstract foundations, being rational, ignored the importance of human nature and society.

French Revolution was caused by the following claims, Internal struggle for leadership and empire outstrips for financial resources of the state, Political misunderstanding between the Monarchy and the nobility, over the restart of the tax system that they claimed, led to poverty and bankruptcy. The enlightenment, that is the impulse for reform intensified political conflicts and reinforced traditional aristocratic constitutionalism. The introduction of new ways of good government and the prestige of popular sovereignty has also led to bankruptcy. The attack on the catholic regime and advantageous class by The Literary Underground of the broadening influence of public opinion. Social differences between two rising groups, the aristocracy, and the bourgeoisie. Removal of the ineffective leader Luis, and economic hardship, especially the agrarian crisis of 1788-1789, generated general discontent and disorders caused by food shortages.

This reflection was written immediately after the French Revolution. Burke’s primary antirevolutionary book questioned the motives of the actors and warned against the removal of all, which would prove amazingly prophetic. Edmund Burke expressed his views against the French revolution by criticizing it. The first was the Constitutional Society Edmund criticized this by saying that there were no improvements in their constitution from the past. He envied liberty as little as they did to any other nation. ‘He will not stand in front and give blame or praise to anything which might relate to human actions, or human concerns, on a simple view of an object as it stands naked of every relation, in all the nakedness and solitude of physical abstraction. Circumstances which for some gentlemen pass for nothing, give in reality to every political principle different color and discriminating effect’ (Edmund Burke, 1790). He also claimed the Revolution Society as a right of they are governing for misconduct. He claimed that no state could stand a minute if it could be blown down with anything as loose and indefinite as an opinion of "misconduct".

The Revolution was made to preserve the French past, unequal laws and liberties, and the past constitution of government which was their only security for law and liberty. If one were desirous of knowing the spirit of their constitution and the policy which domineered in that ancient period which has secured it to this day. One would have to look for both in their histories, in their records, in their acts of parliament, and journals of parliament, but not in the sayings of the after-dinner toasts or ancient jewelry of the Revolution Society. In the former one will find other ideas and another language. Such a claim was humiliating to them. He claimed that France was in the crisis of a revolution and transit from one form of government to another, but they could not see the same character of men exactly in the same circumstances which they had seen in the country.

‘When they smile, He sees the blood flowing down their face, he sees their intended purposes; he sees that the aim of all their persuasion is blood! He now warns his fellow citizens to beware of these false philosophers, whose only ambition is to destroy everything good and to introduce immorality and murder’ (Edmund Burke, 1790). Edmund Burke revealed that at that time English politics were up to manipulating other states such as France. He did not support the French revolution at that time and was determined to stop it.