On the recordJanuary 1, 1790
What your politicians think the marks of a bold, hardy genius are only proofs of a deplorable want of ability.
Said by
Edmund Burke
Source
gutenberg.orgEdmund Burke: “What your politicians think the marks of a bold, hardy genius are only proofs of a deplorable want of ability.”
Editor's note · Context
Burke criticizes the French revolutionaries, asserting that their perceived boldness is actually a sign of incompetence.
Share
More from Edmund Burke
Jan 1, 1790
Every honest mind, every true lover of liberty and humanity, must rejoice to find that injustice is not always good policy, nor rapine the high-road to riches.
Jan 1, 1790
Not being illuminated with the light of which the gentlemen of France tell us they have got so abundant a share, they acted under a strong impression of the ignorance and fallibility of mankind.
Jan 1, 1790
If any of them should happen to propose a scheme of liberty soberly limited, and defined with proper qualifications, he will be immediately outbid by his competitors, who will produce something more splendidly popular.
Jan 1, 1790
Let us imitate their caution, if we wish to deserve their fortune or to retain their bequests.
Other voices in this conversation
