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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

“There was an ancient Roman lawyer, of great fame in the history of Roman jurisprudence, whom they called Cui Bono, from his having first introduced into judicial proceedings the argument, "What end or object could the party have had in the act with which he is accused."”

Firsts Ends Law Party Objects Fame Argument Ancient Lawyer Accused Judicial Proceeding Jurisprudence

Author:Edmund Burke

“I have been told by an eminent bookseller, that in no branch of his business , after tracts of popular devotion, were so many books as those on the law exported to the Plantations .”

Has Beens Book Law Devotion Branches Plantations Booksellers

Book:The Political Tracts and Speeches of Edmund Burke

Source: The Political Tracts and Speeches of Edmund Burke

“The power of discretionary disqualification by one law of Parliament, and the necessity of paying every debt of the Civil List by another law of Parliament, if suffered to pass unnoticed, must establish such a fund of rewards and terrors as will make Parliament the best appendage and support of arbitrary power that ever was invented by the wit of man.”

Ifs Men Law Support Rewards Terror Debt Lists Wit Fund Parliament Arbitrary Unnoticed Disqualification

Book:Burke, Select Works

Source: Burke, Select Works

“Religion, to have any force upon men's understandings,--indeed, to exist at all,--must be supposed paramount to law, and independent for its substance upon any human institution, else it would be the absurdest thing in the world,--an acknowledged cheat.”

Men World Humans Would Be Law Religion Force Understanding Independent Institutions Substance Cheat Paramount

Book:The works and correspondence of...Edmund Burke

Source: The works and correspondence of...Edmund Burke

“Law and arbitrary power are at eternal enmity.”

Law Power Eternal Arbitrary Enmity

Book:Edmund Burke: Selected Writings and Speeches

Source: Edmund Burke: Selected Writings and Speeches

“Whenever government abandons law, it proclaims anarchy.”

States Government Law Abandon Anarchy

Book:Irish Affairs

Source: Irish Affairs

“Laws are commanded to hold their tongues among arms; and tribunals fall to the ground with the peace they are no longer able to uphold.”

War Able Law Fall Arms Tongue Tribunals

Book:Revolutionary Writings: Reflections on the Revolution in France and the First Letter on a Regicide Peace

Source: Revolutionary Writings: Reflections on the Revolution in France and the First Letter on a Regicide Peace

“Bad laws are the worst sort of tyranny.”

Law Freedom Liberty Worst Libertarian Tyranny Libertarianism Carpe Diem Justice And Injustice Bad Laws

Author:Edmund Burke

“It is not what a lawyer tells me I may do; but what humanity, reason, and justice tell me I ought to do.”

May Reason Law Humanity Justice Ought Lawyer Law And Justice Law Courts American Justice

Author:Edmund Burke

“We must all obey the great law of change. It is the most powerful law of nature.”

Inspirational Law Nature Change Friendship Powerful Power Cycles Most Powerful Laws Of Nature

Book:Edmund Burke: Selected Writings and Speeches

Source: Edmund Burke: Selected Writings and Speeches

“All human laws are, properly speaking, only declaratory; they may alter the mode and application, but have no power over the substance of original justice.”

Humans Law Justice Judging Originals Substance

Author:Edmund Burke

“Laws, like houses, lean on one another.”

Law House Freedom Democracy

Author:Edmund Burke

“There is but one law for all, namely that law which governs all law, the law of our Creator, the law of humanity, justice, equity - the law of nature and of nations.”

Wisdom Law Humanity Politics Nations Justice Economy Creator Equality Lawyer Liberalism Equity Laws Of Nature

Author:Edmund Burke

“In effect, to follow, not to force the public inclination; to give a direction, a form, a technical dress, and a specific sanction, to the general sense of the community, is the true end of legislature.”

Giving Ends Form Law Force Community Effects Dresses Lawyer Inclination Sanctions Legislature

Book:The Portable Edmund Burke

Source: The Portable Edmund Burke

“Manners are of more importance than laws. Manners are what vex or soothe, corrupt or purify, exalt or debase, barbarize or refine us, by a constant, steady, uniform, insensible operation, like that of the air we breathe.”

Law Air Importance Constant Breathe Manners Operations Steady Uniforms Courtesy Good Manners Insensible Vex Courtesy Manners

Author:Edmund Burke

“A good parson once said that where mystery begins religion ends. Cannot I say, as truly at least, of human laws, that where mystery begins justice ends?”

Humans Said Ends Law Justice Mystery Investing

Book:The Writings and Speeches of Edmund Burke: Volume I: The Early Writings

Source: The Writings and Speeches of Edmund Burke: Volume I: The Early Writings

“People crushed by law, have no hopes but from power. If laws are their enemies, they will be enemies to laws; and those who have much hope and nothing to lose, will always be dangerous.”

People Ifs Government Law Loses Enemy Power Dangerous Crushed No Hope Nothing To Lose

Author:Edmund Burke

“In this choice of inheritance we have given to our frame of polity the image of a relation in blood; binding up the constitution of our country with our dearest domestic ties; adopting our fundamental laws into the bosom of our family affections; keeping inseparable and cherishing with the warmth of all their combined and mutually reflected charities, our state, our hearths, our sepulchres, and our altars.”

Source: Reflections on the Revolution in France: And on the Proceedings in Certain Societies in London Relative to that Event. In a Letter Intended to Have Been Sent to a Gentleman in Paris

“The most favourable laws can do very little towards the happiness of people when the disposition of the ruling power is adverse to them.”

People Inspirational Littles Law Can Do Disposition Ruling Adverse

Book:The works and correspondence of...Edmund Burke

Source: The works and correspondence of...Edmund Burke

“In on summer they have done their business... they have completely pulled down to the ground their monarchy, their church, their nobility, their law, their revenue, their army, their navy, their commerce, their arts, and their manufactures... destroyed all balances and counterpoises which serve to fix a state and give it steady direction, and then they melted down the whole into one incongrous mass of mob and democracy... the people, along with their political servitude, have thrown off the yoke of law and morals.”