Reflections on the Revolution in France (Oxford World's Classics) Reissue Edition

by Edmund Burke (Author), L. G. Mitchell (Editor)

86 customer reviews

ISBN-13: 978-0199539024

ISBN-10: 0199539022

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This new and up-to-date edition of a book that has been central to political philosophy, history, and revolutionary thought for two hundred years offers readers a dire warning of the consequences that follow the mismanagement of change. Written for a generation presented with challenges of terrible proportions--the Industrial, American, and French Revolutions, to name the most obvious--Burke's Reflections of the Revolution in France displays an acute awareness of how high political stakes can be, as well as a keen ability to set contemporary problems within a wider context of political theory.

About the Series: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

Reflections on the Revolution in France (Oxford World's Classics)

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Oxford does the student and scholarly world a service by making Reflections available in an affordable edition."--Barbara B. Davis, Antioch College

"Print is clear and the price is right."--Dr. V. Lyle Haskins, Northeastern State University

"Burke's views are as pertinent today as they were 200 years ago. His comments and criticisms of the French Revolution can be applied to 20th century revolutions. It is interesting that his reflections are echoed by so many revisionist French Revolution historians in the past several years. This work allows students to evaluate the events of the revolution from a different perspective."--Professor Jeanne A. Ojala, University of Utah

"I have hoped someday to find a "Reader's Digest" version of Burke. You have produced one, a real service to the profession! Great introduction and bibliography."--Professor Brian E. Strayer, Andrews University

"The annotation of this text will be a great help to students. Mitchell's introduction is likewise clear and to the point."--Marilyn Morris, University of North Texas

From the Publisher

Rethinking the Western Tradition Series --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product details

Series: Oxford World's Classics
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Oxford University Press; Reissue edition (June 15, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0199539022
ISBN-13: 978-0199539024
Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 0.9 x 5 inches
Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 86 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #21,012 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #32 in Books > Literature & Fiction > History & Criticism > Regional & Cultural > European > British & Irish
- #37 in Books > Textbooks > Humanities > History > Europe
- #60 in Books > Textbooks > Humanities > Literature > English Literature

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Top customer reviews

ByTHOMAS JENSENon April 29, 2013

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

What Edmund Burke tells us in 1790, is very applicable for today, in 2013. What ever your political leanings, Burke clearly, consisely, and through great prose, shows us the dangers when society allows mobocracy to rule, instead of the law ruling. Picking and choosing which laws must be followed is anathema to Burke's great thought.

Laws and Constitutions must be held in exactness, or legally changed, lest anarchy arises from within.

Burke's prose sings this very day. I found myself reading aloud on many occasions. This is a book that must you must take time and slowly read. I encourage reading many passages aloud to feel the true impact. I nod in humble agreement to everything Burke posits on. The weight of his words must be viewed as a wake-up call for all teetering domestic and political societies.

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A classic, & still relevant (!) to our times

ByGeoff Puterbaughon July 1, 2010

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

I don't think anyone involved in my education ever required me to read this book, which I find one of the most interesting books of the last 500 years.

As an example of Burke's thinking, let's turn to the "natural rights" of man: "life, liberty, & the pursuit of happiness." The traditional defense of these arguments has been that they derive from God, or from Providence, or from Nature (whatever "Nature" with-a-capital-N might turn out to be!)

But by now, there is an entirely different, Burkean argument for these rights. I can't put the argument with Burke's eloquence, but he would say that these are **American** rights, declared at the founding of our nation, and since then handed down from generation to generation as a priceless birthright, as the proper inheritance of every American citizen. They don't have to "derive" from anywhere except the American political tradition, the American political inheritance, which we should be on constant guard to protect, so that we may hand the same precious birthright on, to our children and grandchildren.

Burke's analysis of the French National Assembly is masterful, and also contains lessons for today. What impressed Burke strongly was the devotion of the revolutionaries to abstract ideas, and the fact that they delivered the government of France into the hands of incompetents. Almost 300 of the 600 were petty lawyers, plus some illiterate peasants and a few merchants --- "and you expect these people to run a government?" Burke would ask, adding, "especially after all legitimate power had been destroyed?" He tellingly notes that NONE of the members of the National Assembly had any experience with government, and so (obviously) they were not up to the task.

Compare and contrast this with the current situation in Washington, where almost none of the appointees or czars has any experience with running a business, much less a government. Burke would be saying, with sarcasm, "Well, what would you expect?" You cannot govern through mere abstractions such as "Hope" and "Change." If you want to deal with the outside world, you need a Secretary of State with some experience in foreign affairs. If you want to help the economy recover from a bad shock, you need some people with experience at doing so. If you want to plug an oil leak, do NOT send out for more professors --- send out for people with experience at plugging oil leaks.

Burke points out a huge list of other problems, such as the mob in Paris demanding that ALL bishops be immediately hung from the lampposts, the endless series of murders, assassinations, and "expropriations" which led France into chaos, and then the Great Terror. By the time Napoleon swings by to pick up the broken pieces, and begin his own career as a murderer of Europeans by the millions, you may at least find yourself wondering whether Edmund Burke was not right: establishing and running a successful government is not a task for children or for ideologues. An essential factor is respect for what has gone before, and the old American attitude of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

I recommend this book very highly, and would only caution that it makes for slow reading, because every single sentence is pregnant with thought.

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The first Conservative

Byjoeon January 25, 2015

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Edmund Burke, politician, philosopher and historian, know as the father of conservatism. When the revolution in France broke out with the death of the King and the revolution being led by sidelined liberal radicals, Burke was horrified. In his reflections he shows just that, his horror and critique of where the revolution went wrong. Burke is a classic figure in the late 18th and early 19th century. Although not in opposition to the basic revolutionary principles, he disliked how the revolution was going about bringing in its ideas of liberty and equality, out with the old and in with the new. Burke was more of a gradualist, believing in growth of kingdoms, nations, and politics among other things. To paraphrase Burke’s own words in the book that we must take to heart, what is a tree without its roots?

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ByM. Muelleron January 14, 2016

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I've always heard of Burke, but never had occasion to read him until my book club decided to read Reflections. Now you do have to slow down to read it to an 18th century pace; you'd miss the beauty of the language and the fascinating details of life in England and France if you tried to speed read. It's worth the time. Hard to believe how relevant it is to many of today's issues!

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Tough, but Worth it

ByJon Burnetton August 16, 2013

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Burke is a master of philosophy, religion, history, literature and rhetoric, and such is reflected in his holistic approach to civics. The first half of his work elaborates on the faulty principles of the Jacobins, while the second deals primarily with their naive reliance on these false principles in the face of various practical difficulties. Though still one of the best explications of traditional conservatism, Burke's writing is often tedious and hampered by the epistolary format of his work.

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BURKE'S REALITY EXCEEDS HIS REPUTATION.

BySuzanne Silveron November 22, 2013

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Apart from aspects of style - a function of the times - Burke articulates the argument against revolution of any kind with brilliant clarity. Nothing worthwhile was ever built by tearing something else down. Except when the perversion is so repugnant it must be replaced. NB. Replaced - not simply torn down. Almost without exception revolution succeeds only in making matters worse. Lincoln and the Civil War is one magnificent exception. Slavery was replaced with emancipation - and still today Lincoln's genius reaches out from 1865, as does Burke's from even earlier.

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Most recent customer reviews

Great then Great now

Love Edmund Burke. He was, I believe, one of the greatest writers and statesmen of his time. His command of the English language was superlative.Read more

Published 3 months ago by Michael Pappie

Read this if you want to see what happens when you let communists take over. Not pretty.

Published 4 months ago by Publius

Published 6 months ago by Dennis Cummings

The Ur-Conservative everyone should be cognizant of.

Published 8 months ago by wag1

an infuriating book

Worth a read but ...

This is a book much quoted and apparently beloved by conservatives everywhere.
So I had to read it eventually.Read more

Published 10 months ago by Anthony

Do read Reflections--but in another edition

Reflections on the Revolution in France is one of the great political writings in English. My two stars are addressed to this edition.Read more

Published 1 year ago by Burke Worker

Classic work of political philosophy that remains relevant two centuries later. A must read in a well annotated edition

Published 1 year ago by H.C. Trapper

Published 1 year ago by HENRY ADADE

Published 1 year ago by Orestes J. Garcia

Makes for a great read for those interest in Political Science

Needed for a class. Got it real quick. Donated to local library when I was done with it. Makes for a great read for those interest in Political Science.

Published 1 year ago by ExITGuy

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