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Reflections on the Revolution in France Audiobook
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(3.00) - 1,564 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
This famous treatise began as a letter to a young French friend who asked Edmund Burke’s opinion on whether France’s new ruling class would succeed in creating a better order. Doubtless the friend expected a favorable reply, but Burke was suspicious of certain tendencies of the Revolution from the start and perceived that the revolutionaries were actually subverting the true “social order.” As a Christian––he was not a man of the Enlightenment––Burke knew religion to be man’s greatest good and established order to be a fundamental pillar of civilization.
Blending history with principle and graceful imagery with profound practical maxims, this book is one of the most influential political treatises in the history of the world. Said Russell Kirk, “The Reflections must be read by anyone who wishes to understand the great controversies of modern politics.”
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"An incredibly dense read, as most philosophy is, but as a conservative, it's fun to read this, the bedrock of modern conservatism. For those with a basic understanding of what happened during the French Revolution, this is a good primary source to build upon."
— Gary (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Burke’s views are as pertinent today as they were two hundred years ago. His comments and criticisms of the French Revolution can be applied to twentieth-century revolutions. It is interesting that his reflections are echoed by so many revisionist French Revolution historians in the past several years.”
— Professor Jeanne A. Ojala, University of Utah -
“Burke’s views are as pertinent today as they were two hundred years ago…It is interesting that his reflections are echoed by so many revisionist French Revolution historians in the past several years.”
— Professor Jeanne A. Ojala, University of Utah
Reflections on the Revolution in France Listener Reviews
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" Tough read as the book is one never-ending chapter. Basically Burke says "you guys overdid it." "
— Douglas, 2/17/2014 -
" Meet the book that prevented the French Revolution from jumping across the channel into England. It remains the granddaddy expose of leftism, or what we call today (perversely) liberalism. "
— Ezra, 2/15/2014 -
" Burke predicts the reign of terror and the rise of Napoleon. "
— John, 2/6/2014 -
" Since Burke composed this thing as a letter there are no section or chapter breaks; Burke just keeps going and going and going and going and this has nothing to do, really, with his actual arguments, which, due to their influence on people who influenced people who influence us, still deserve some attention. "
— BHodges, 1/21/2014 -
" Takes real effort to sort through the history lessons and the random opinions to get to the political and social implications of the French Revolution (that was helpful to my dissertation research) "
— Anya, 12/31/2013 -
" It mostly just really tickles me to think of Burke earnestly & furiously reacting to a negative online review 200 years after publication. "
— Annadella, 11/10/2013 -
" The two star rating is actually a pleasant surprise. "
— jtabz, 9/7/2013 -
" Enlightening, in that it lets you see what quasi-democratic revolutions look like to a member of the wealthy upper class in a traditional monarchy. Burke's tone, however, is pompous, and many of the things he says are simply vile. "
— John, 7/12/2013 -
" Whig windbag mounts his defence for inherited privilege and vested interest: roll on Tom Paine, s'all I can say. "
— Lazarus, 6/28/2013 -
" I don't like conservatism "
— Alejandro, 4/21/2013 -
" The occasional validity of Burke's criticism of Jacobin excesses is completely undermined by the reactionary and chauvinistic philosophy in which it is couched. No wonder Mary Wollestonecraft and Thomas Paine were able to rip through his hoary ideas with such ease. "
— Muhammad, 4/7/2013 -
" George Will et al are more right than they have a right to be when they say they're Burke's heirs, sad to say. "
— Peter, 3/11/2013 -
" Fascinating, but in desperate need of a strong editor and good index (two things Oxford is notoriously awful at). A little goes a long way. "
— Tom, 1/30/2013 -
" Overwritten, and way too authoritative for me. "
— Travis, 11/20/2012 -
" One of the greatest works of political philosophy ever written "
— Geoff, 11/20/2012 -
" I don't see this as an expression of a moribund/reactionary/traditionalist conservatism. On the contrary, I see a recognizable sense of liberality in it. "
— manwithoutqualities, 11/7/2012 -
" In combining political thought and political activism, Burke is second only to Cicero. Speaking of Cicero, note the contrast between his description of the Roman regime's founding and Burke's historicist account of England's origins (the credit goes to Strauss for this point.) "
— Rutger, 10/3/2012
About Edmund Burke
Edmund Burke (1729–1797) became a member of Parliament in 1765. He championed the unpopular cause of Catholic emancipation and a great part of his career became dedicated to the problem of India. The French Revolution prompted one of his best-known works, Reflections on the Revolution in France.
About Bernard Mayes
Bernard Mayes is a teacher, administrator, corporate executive, broadcaster, actor, dramatist, and former international commentator on US culture. He is best known for his readings of historical classics.