Three Contrasting Perceptions of the French Revolution: Burke, Paine and Wollstonecraft

Abstract

Epoch making events like the French Revolution led to diverse political theorising as evident in the writings of Edmund Burke (1729-97), Thomas Paine (1739-1809) and Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-97). Burke vehemently criticised the Revolution by attacking its ideological basis while Paine defended it. Wollstonecraft pointed out the incompleteness of Enlightenment liberalism because of its failure to address the question of women’s rights and of the French Revolution which despite a promise of equality left out women. These three contrasting perspectives illuminate three different theoretical postures: conservative (Burke), libertarian liberal (Paine) and liberal Feminist (Wollstonecraft). Conservatism and feminism as distinct schools of philosophy began with Burke and Wollstonecraft while Paine continued with the Lockean-Jeffersonian libertarian mood of early liberalism. All these diverse streams continue to remain important and relevant components of contemporary debates about politics and society in political theory.