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Edmund Burke Quotes

Statesman

Edmund Burke, a British statesman and writer, was born on January 12, 1729, and died on July 9, 1797. He was one of the most prominent political thinkers of the 18th century, known for his profound insights into liberty, democracy, and conservatism.

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Famous Edmund Burke Quotes

“To govern according to the sense and agreement of the interests of the people is a great and glorious object of governance. This object cannot be obtained but through the medium of popular election, and popular election is a mighty evil.”

People Evil Politics Interest Responsibility Power Objects Election Mediums Glorious Agreement Governance

Author:Edmund Burke

“Man acts from adequate motives relative to his interest, and not on metaphysical speculations.”

Men Interest Motive Relative Metaphysical Speculation Adequate

Book:The Speeches of the Right Hon. Edmund Burke, with Memoir and Historical Introductions. By James Burke

Source: The Speeches of the Right Hon. Edmund Burke, with Memoir and Historical Introductions. By James Burke

“The marketplace obliges men, whether they will or not, in pursuing their own selfish interests, to connect the general good with their own individual success.”

Men Success Individual Interest Selfish Marketplace Selfish Interest Individual Success

Author:Edmund Burke

“No men can act with effect who do not act in concert; no men can act in concert who do not act with confidence; no men can act with confidence who are not bound together with common opinions, common affections, and common interests.”

Men Action Together Interest Common Opinion Effects Bounds Affection Concerts Common Interests

Author:Edmund Burke

“Parliament is a deliberate assembly of one nation, with one interest, that of the whole; where, not local purpose, not local prejudices ought to guide but the general good, resulting from the general reason of the whole.”

Reason Whole Purpose Nations Interest Ought Prejudice Guides Locals Parliament Deliberate Assembly Members Of Parliament

Book:Edmund Burke: Selected Writings and Speeches

Source: Edmund Burke: Selected Writings and Speeches

“As mankind becomes more enlightened to know their real interests, they will esteem the value of agriculture; they will find it in their natural--their destined occupation.”

Knows Real Values Interest Natural Mankind Esteem Enlightened Occupation Agriculture Destined

Author:Edmund Burke

“Society is indeed a contract. Subordinate contracts for objects of mere occasional interest may be dissolved at pleasure - but the state ought not to be considered as nothing better than a partnership agreement in a trade of pepper and coffee, calico, or tobacco, or some other such low concern, to be taken up for a little temporary interest, and to be dissolved by the fancy of the parties. It is to be looked on with other reverence, because it is not a partnership in things subservient only to the gross animal existence of a temporary and perishable nature.”

Source: Delphi Complete Works of Edmund Burke (Illustrated)

“All writers on the science of policy are agreed, and they agree with experience, that all governments must frequently infringe the rules of justice to support themselves; that truth must give way to dissimulation, honesty to convenience, and humanity itself to the reigning of interest. The whole of this mystery of iniquity is called the reason of state.”

Way Giving States Reason Whole Government Humanity Interest Justice Support Mystery Honesty Policy Agree Convenience Iniquity

Book:The Inherent Evils of All State Governments Demonstrated; Being a Reprint of ...

Source: The Inherent Evils of All State Governments Demonstrated; Being a Reprint of ...

“The question is not whether you have a right to render people miserable, but whether it is not in your best interest to make them happy.”

People Interest Miserable

Author:Edmund Burke

“Party is a body of men united, for promoting by their joint endeavours the national interest, upon some particular principle in which they are all agreed.”

Men Body Interest United Party Principles Particular Promoting Joints Endeavour National Interests Man United

Book:The works of ... Edmund Burke [ed. by W. King and F. Laurence].

Source: The works of ... Edmund Burke [ed. by W. King and F. Laurence].

“It is the interest of the commercial world that wealth should be found everywhere.”

World Should Found Interest Wealth Business Prosperity

Book:Selected Letters of Edmund Burke

Source: Selected Letters of Edmund Burke

“The public interest requires doing today those things that men of intelligence and good will would wish, five or ten years hence, had been done.”

Men Years Done Today Politics Wish Interest Environment Five Ten Environmental Good Will Public Interest

Author:Edmund Burke

“The superfluities of a rich nation furnish a better object of trade than the necessities of a poor one. It is the interest of the commercial world that wealth should be found everywhere.”

World Should Found Nations Interest Wealth Poor Rich Objects Trade

Book:Selected Letters of Edmund Burke

Source: Selected Letters of Edmund Burke

“We are in a war of a peculiar nature. It is not with an ordinary community, which is hostile or friendly as passion or as interest may veer about: not with a state which makes war through wantonness, and abandons it through lassitude. We are at war with a system, which by its essence, is inimical to all other governments, and which makes peace or war, as peace and war may best contribute to their subversion. It is with an armed doctrine that we are at war. It has, by its essence, a faction of opinion, and of interest, and of enthusiasm, in every country.”

May War Country States Government Passion Interest Community Opinion History Ordinary Essence Doctrine Enthusiasm Friendly Abandon Peculiar Hostile Making Peace Factions Subversion

Author:Edmund Burke

“To be attached to the subdivision, to love the little platoon we belong to in society, is the first principle (the germ as it were) of public affections. It is the first link in the series by which we proceed toward a love to our country and to mankind. The interest of that portion of social arrangement is a trust in the hands of all those who compose it; and as none but bad men would justify it in abuse, none but traitors would barter it away for their own personal advantage.”

Men Firsts Littles War Country Hands Social Peace Interest Principles Mankind Advantage Abuse Series Affection Our Country Justify Links Portions Arrangements Traitor Germs Bad Man

Author:Edmund Burke

“It is from this absolute indifference and tranquillity of the mind, that mathematical speculations derive some of the most considerable advantages; because there is nothing to interest the imagination; because the judgment sits free and unbiased to examine the point. All proportions, every arrangement of quantity, is alike to the understanding, because the same truths result to it from all; from greater from lesser, from equality and inequality.”

“Parliament is not a congress of ambassadors from different and hostile interests; which interests each must maintain, as an agent and advocate, against other agents and advocates; but parliament is a deliberative assembly of one nation, with one interest, that of the whole; where, not local purposes, not local prejudices ought to guide, but the general good, resulting from the general reason of the whole. You choose a member indeed; but when you have chosen him, he is not a member of Bristol, but he is a member of parliament.”

Source: The Portable Edmund Burke