The two main texts which are the subject of this paper are,
first and foremost, a selection
from Edmund Burke’s Reflections on the Revolution in France, and then, also
chapter 13
from Richard Bourke’s Empire and Revolution, which discusses Edmund Burke’s
text.
Bourke’s chapter is lengthy, but notice that it includes many footnotes, which
you don’t
have to read. Both of these texts are provided. To these you have to add two more texts which you will find
on
your own, so the total number of source texts you need for this paper is four.
For these
additional two texts you can include two secondary sources, i.e. articles or
book chapters
which discuss Burke directly in a manner relevant to his
views on the French Revolution
A few further points. First, include a bibliography at the
end of the paper. Do not use
footnotes or endnotes! Instead, reference the sources in parentheses in the
text with the
name of the author followed by the relevant page number [for example: (Burke,
420)]. In
choosing secondary sources, and/or a further primary source, you can use the
internet,
including Goggle Scholar, but you can also use Richard Bourke’s footnotes,
though
again, you don’t have to actually fully read them.
Throughout, give a detailed summary of what Edmund Burke is saying. This is the
most
important thing. Then contextualize it with the help of Richard Bourke’s text,
and your
two further self-chosen texts. You can also, on your own, read further from the
full text
of Reflections on the Revolution in France, but you must address the topics in
the
provided selection. In addition to (not instead of!) including a summary of all
of Burke’s
main arguments, you can choose to concentrate on one specific topic he
addresses (for
example religion, or women, etc.), and make this the center of your paper,
including the
additional texts you choose on your own. In any case, keep first-person
language to a
minimum. You can give your own viewpoint, but be careful not
to make this the center
of the paper. The aim here is not to judge Burke, or to detail your own views,
but to give
a serious historical discussion of Burke’s ideas and their historical context.
Finally, make
sure to write in good academic English. In the first assignment I did not
deduct points for
improper language, but I will do so this time, particularly if there are
serious syntactical
or grammatical errors.