Very good article from the conservative magazine Weekly Standard on the old case of Burke v. Paine. Thomas Paine was the radical rabble-rouser who supported not only the American, but the French, Revolution. Edmund Burke was the conservative liberal who had the cojones to stand up for the Americans in the British Parliament during the American Revolution, but he thought what they did in Paris was going too far. Perhaps the most important difference is this: Paine believed man is a purely rational animal, while Burke believed mans rationality is tempered and guided by culture and tradition. This leads Paine to think government can be perfected, and implicitly to say that those in the way need their heads cut off. Burke thinks that such a thing would lead to anarchy and tyranny, as peoples acts are contingent upon their experiences. The Standard suggests that Burkes philosophical descendants form the right in English-speaking (not Continental European) countries, and that those who follow Paine form the left. Whatever. They are certainly two interesting people and the more I learn about them--I remember reading The Rights of Man and Reflections on the Revolution in college--the more I tend to be a Burkean. They always say you get more conservative as you get older. weeklystandard/articles/french-connection_769084.html?nopager=1#
Posted on: Wed, 04 Dec 2013 01:55:57 +0000