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Edmund Burke

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

“The great inlet by which a colour for oppression has entered into the world is by one man's pretending to determine concerning the happiness of another.”

Men World Power Determine Oppression Colour One Man Pretending

Book:The Works and Correspondance of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke

Source: The Works and Correspondance of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke

“The body of all true religion consists, to be sure, in obedience to the will of the Sovereign of the world, in a confidence in His declarations, and in imitation of His perfections.”

World Body Religion Perfection Obedience Imitation Sovereign Declaration True Religion

Book:.) (1853).

Source: .) (1853).

“We must soften into a credulity below the milkiness of infancy to think all men virtuous. We must be tainted with a malignity truly diabolical, to believe all the world to be equally wicked and corrupt.”

Thinking Men World Believe Atheism Positive Atheism Wicked Virtuous Infancy Credulity Tainted Diabolical

Author:Edmund Burke

“Our manners, our civilization, and all the good things connected with manners and civilization, have, in this European world of ours, depended for ages upon two principles: I mean the spirit of a gentleman, and the spirit of religion.”

World Mean Two Age Spirit Principles Civilization Good Things Connected Manners Gentleman

Book:.) (1853).

Source: .) (1853).

“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

“I do ride contend against the advantages of distrust. In the world we live in, it is but too necessary. Some of old called it the very sinews of discretion.”

World Advantage Distrust Discretion

Author:Edmund Burke

“Refined policy ever has been the parent of confusion, and ever will be so as long as the world endures. Plain good intention, which is as easily discovered at the first view as fraud is surely detected at last, is of no mean force in the government of mankind.”

World Firsts Mean Long Has Beens Government Lasts Force Parent Views Mankind Policy Intention Endure Confusion Fraud Good Intentions Refined

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

“There is nothing in the world really beneficial that does not lie within the reach of an informed understanding and a well-protected pursuit.”

World Wells Doe Lying Understanding Pursuit Protected Beneficial

Author:Edmund Burke

“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

“History consists, for the greater part, of the miseries brought upon the world by pride, ambition, avarice, revenge, lust, sedition, hypocrisy, ungoverned zeal, and all the train of disorderly appetite.”

World Politics History Greater Pride Ambition Train Misery Revenge Lust Hypocrisy Appetite Zeal Avarice

Book:Reflections on the Revolution in France and on the Proceedings in Certain Societies in London Relative to that Event: 1790

Source: Reflections on the Revolution in France and on the Proceedings in Certain Societies in London Relative to that Event: 1790

“Continue to instruct the world; and - whilst we carry on a poor unequal conflict with the passions and prejudices of our day, perhaps with no better weapons than other passions and prejudices of our own - convey wisdom to future generations.”

World Passion Poor History Generations Conflict Weapons Prejudice Future Generation

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

Source: The works and correspondence of...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

“It is better to cherish virtue and humanity, by leaving much to free will, even with some loss of the object , than to attempt to make men mere machines and instruments of political benevolence. The world on the whole will gain by a liberty, without which virtue cannot exist.”

Men World Whole Political Humanity Loss Liberty Virtue Objects Gains Machines Instruments Mere Leaving Free Will Cherish Benevolence American Liberty

Book:The Portable Edmund Burke

Source: The Portable Edmund Burke

“There is America, which at this day serves for little more than to amuse you with stories of savage men and uncouth manners, yet shall, before you taste of death, show itself equal to the whole of that commerce which now attracts the envy of the world.”

Men World Littles Whole Stories Shows America Death Taste Equal Envy Manners This Day Commerce Savages Uncouth

Book:The Works and Correspondence of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke

Source: The Works and Correspondence of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke

“A perfect democracy is therefore the most shameless thing in the world.”

World Perfect Democracy Shameless

Author:Edmund Burke

“A very great part of the mischiefs that vex the world arises from words.”

World Arise Mischief New Words Vex

Book:The Works and Correspondance of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke

Source: The Works and Correspondance of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke

“Restraint and discipline and examples of virtue and justice. These are the things that form the education of the world.”

World Form Justice Virtue Example Discipline Restraint

Author:Edmund Burke

“You had that action and counteraction which, in the natural and in the political world, from the reciprocal struggle of discordant powers draws out the harmony of the universe.”

World Action Political Universe Politics Natural Struggle Draws Harmony Life Struggle Reciprocal

Book:Maxims and opinions, moral, political and economical, with characters, from the works of ... Edmund Burke

Source: Maxims and opinions, moral, political and economical, with characters, from the works of ... Edmund Burke

“When slavery is established in any part of the world, those who are free are by far the most proud and jealous of their freedom.”

World History Proud Slavery Jealous

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

“England and Ireland may flourish together. The world is large enough for both of us. Let it be our care not to make ourselves too little for it.”

World May Littles Enough Care Together History England Ireland

Book:Selected Letters of Edmund Burke

Source: Selected Letters of Edmund Burke

“There is nothing that God has judged good for us that He has not given us the means to accomplish, both in the natural and the moral world.”

World Mean Given Natural Moral Accomplish Judged

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