Edmund Burke
Edmund Burke
Edmund Burkewas an Irish statesman born in Dublin, as well as an author, orator, political theorist, and philosopher who, after moving to London, served as a member of parliamentfor many years in the House of Commons with the Whig Party...
NationalityIrish
ProfessionPolitician
Date of Birth12 January 1729
CountryIreland
sympathy condolences heart
Next to love, Sympathy is the divinest passion of the human heart.
mind infamous gang
Despots govern by terror. They know that he who fears God fears nothing else; and therefore they eradicate from the mind, through their Voltaire, their Helvetius, and the rest of that infamous gang, that only sort of fear which generates true courage.
children school example
Example is the school of mankind, and they will learn at no other.
wisdom historical conservative
Those who don't know history are destined to repeat it.
exalted general opinion paper virtue
I have in general no very exalted opinion of the virtue of paper government.
anxious error general loudest public suppose welfare
It is a general error to suppose the loudest complainers for the public to be the most anxious for its welfare
antagonist compels conflict consider difficulty helps intimate suffer
He that wrestles with us strengthens our nerves, and sharpens our skill. Our antagonist is our helper. This amicable conflict with difficulty helps us to an intimate acquaintance with our object, and compels us to consider it in all its relations. It will not suffer us to be superficial.
advances business divinity doctors greater hard law lucrative whether
It is hard to say whether the doctors of law or divinity have made the greater advances in the lucrative business of mystery.
direct discretion finest individual itself ought problems state
It is one of the finest problems in legislation, what the state ought to take upon itself to direct and what it ought to leave, with as little interference as possible, to individual discretion
evil good man necessary
It is necessary only for the good man to do nothing for evil to triumph.
commercial everywhere found interest wealth
It is in the interest of the commercial world that wealth should be found everywhere
crushed enemies hope laws legal lose people power
People crushed by laws, have no hope but to evade power. If the laws are their enemies, they will be enemies to the law; and those who have most to hope and nothing to lose will always be dangerous.
fits handle
Sin has many tools, but a lie is the handle which fits them all.
insects loud though
The little, meagre, shrivelled, hopping, though loud and troublesome insects of the hour.