originally published 11/1/1997

Daniel Ritchie discusses the enduring political wisdom of British statesman and political thinker Edmund Burke (1729–1797). Political philosopher Dante Germino once described how Burke possessed a remarkable balance between the active and contemplative life, as well as an understanding of the relationships between freedom and order, common sense and imagination, reform and tradition, and humanism and religion. Ritchie explains Burke’s views on the legitimacy and scope of the state’s authority, based in his belief in natural law. Burke championed truth apprehended through natural law, tradition, and the embodied wisdom of a people over time. Ritchie concludes by naming the core conservative principles that guided Burke in his life and work.

13 minutes

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