埃德蒙·柏克的自由思想探析

On Edmund Burke's Liberal Thoughts

埃德蒙·柏克是18世纪下半期英国著名的政治思想家,多以自由事业捍卫者的形象出现在政治舞台上。但在以追求自由、民主为目标的法国大革命爆发后,柏克却成为大革命最为坚定的反对者,他由此被称为"西方保守主义鼻祖"。柏克自由思想的定位及其与保守主义间的关系,成为学界关注的焦点。从柏克生活的时代背景把握其自由思想的特质,并审视其政治思想中的民主忧患意识,对我们全面认知和正确评价柏克自由思想的特色及其在西方政治思想发展史上的地位至关重要。

Edmund Burke is a famous political thinker of the 18th Century. In most time of his political career, he appeared as a liberty defender. But, he opposed the French Revolution which was guided by the ideas of liberty and democracy. Burke was justly called the founder of modern political conservatism. Burke＇s liberal thought and its relationship with his conservative thought have been the focus of academic discussion. It is very important to evaluate Burke＇s liberal thought in the development history of Western political thoughts.