不列颠及其意识形态十字军对阵法国大革命

Britain and the Ideological Crusade against the French Revolution

1789年法国大革命对英国的政治实践及理念具有深远的影响。尽管一些激进的英国作家们深刻同情法国大革命,并期望大革命的政纲能在英国传播,但绝大多数知识人则投入到规模巨大的舆论战中,意在说服英国民众相信法国革命的信念对英国宪法、政治传统、社会体制、宗教、公共秩序乃至个人财产都是威胁应予以拒斥。他们认为,法国大革命的政治信念是对秩序与稳定的威胁,它会摧毁贵族与君主制,也会威胁私有财产,并由此导致混乱、暴力与恐怖活动。1793到1802年英法开战,英国保守派政治宣传家们力劝对英国政治、社会、经济产生影响的人们认同他们对法国大革命信念的反对立场,从而支持他们在法国恢复旧秩序的战争诉求。本文即探讨并追溯由保守派宣传家们发动的、以其最知名者埃德蒙·伯克领导的这场颇具才干及影响力的政治争论。

The French Revolution of 1789 had a profound impact on British politics and political ideas. Although some radical writers in Britain sympathised with the French Revolution and hoped to see its principles spread to Britain,most British commentators joined in a massive propaganda campaign persuading the British people to reject French principles as dangerous to the British constitution,its traditional political and social institutions,religion,property,and public order.They maintained that French principles were a threat to order and stability,would destroy monarchy and aristocracy,would threaten private property and would result in anarchy,violence and terror.Once Britain was at war with France from February 1793 until 1802,conservative British propagandists persuaded a majority of men with political,social and economic influence within Britain to accept their condemnation of French principles and to support their demands for a war to restore the old political order in France.In exploring this subject,this article traces the arguments presented by able and influential conservative propagandists,led by the most famous of them,Edmund Burke.