A Century of Political Development Author:Hector Carsewell Macpherson General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1908 Original Publisher: W. Blackwood and Sons Description: "With the exception of the two concluding chapters, the contents of this volume appeared in the columns of the 'Edinburgh Evening News.'" --Pref. Subjects: Social sciences Great Britain History / Europe / General ... more » History / Europe / Great Britain Philosophy / Social Political Science / General Social Science / General Social Science / Methodology Social Science / Research Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: CHAPTER III. THE BRITISH REACTION : BURKE. So long as we confine our attention to the dramatic side of the French Revolution, so long as we study it exclusively from its political aspect, the full significance of that great event is missed. The inwardness of the Revolution consists in the fact that it was an intellectual as well as a political Revolution, carrying with it not only a complete change in the government of France, but also a complete change in men's fundamental ideas in regard to both society and government. Like the Reformation, the Revolution overleaped purely geographical barriers by giving birth to ideas which were universal in their sweep. Among British statesmen Burke was the first to detect the real nature of the French upheaval. According to Burke, it was " a revolution of doctrine and theocratic dogma." Just as the Reformation was a revolution in men's minds in regard to the ultimate seat of spiritual authority, so the French Revolution was a revolution in men's minds in regard to the ultimate seat of political authority. Up till the Reformation the watchword in matters spiritual was the Duties of Man ; while till the Revolution the watchword in matt...« less