Richard Bourke
Biographic Data
| ID | 1162929 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Richard Bourke |
| GIVEN NAMES | Richard |
| FAMILY NAME | Bourke |
| SIGNATURE | BOURKE R |
| AFFILIATIONS | Queen Mary University of London |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-4355-7434 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 58 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 111 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 56 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 7 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2000 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 6 |
The Decline of the West
There is so much to admire in Varouxakis’ The West. Apart from anything else, it is an astonishingly rich source of commentary on its main theme. As such, it recovers an array of fascinating debate...
Hegel and Historical Reasoning
Historians have long disregarded Hegel as a rigidly aprioristic thinker. However, they have not arrived at this view based on familiarity with his works. Usually, early on in their education, historians are taught that teleology is anathema to their craft, and that Hegel is an exemplar of this approach. As a result, they are routinely advised that his writings can safely be ignored. Nonetheless, ironically, much in Hegel’s narrative continues to …
Provincializing Europe Revisited
Morality and Secularity in Kant and Hegel
This article treats the theme of secularisation in Michael Rosen’s The Shadow of God . It addresses the persistence of Christian metaphysical precepts in Kant and their transformation in Hegel. The argument focuses on both thinkers’ ideas of freedom, obligation and immortality. In the process, it recovers the import of Hegel’s understanding of Geist as the dynamic element in his philosophy of history. I conclude by showing that Hegel’s commitment…
Enlightenment and Its Demise
Rights, Property, and Politics
This chapter addresses the relationship between rights and property and the role of each in determining the form of government. It begins by challenging J. G. A. Pocock’s division of the history of political thought into liberal and republican traditions, with the first based on a juridical conception of politics and the second focused on political participation to the exclusion of a concern with rights. David Hume, whose skepticism led him to de…
The Cambridge History of Rights
The age of Enlightenment and revolutions produced some of our best-known declarations of rights, but they did not create the idea of rights. Writers during this age did such a good job at declaring rights that many historians and politicians later believed that they invented them. The fourth volume of The Cambridge History of Rights shows that the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries are better understood as a time of transformation, extending rig…
Reflections on Hegel’s World Revolutions
Nationalism and Northern Ireland
The concept of ‘Ethnicity’ still enjoys some currency in the historical and social science literature. However, the cogency of the idea remains disputed. First coming to prominence in the 1980s, the word is often used to depict the character of social relations in the context of conflicts over sovereignty. The case of Northern Ireland presents a paradigmatic example. This article is a rejoinder to Ian McBride’s contention that my scepticism about…
Hegel’s World Revolutions
Hegel’s World Revolutions
Hegel’s World Revolutions
Hegel y la revolución francesa
Suele considerarse a Hegel (1770-1831) el filósofo europeo más importante desde Kant. Su influencia se extendió por todo el mundo hasta la Segunda Guerra Mundial, sobre todo a través de su discípulo díscolo, Karl Marx. Desde entonces, su importancia ha tendido a verse eclipsada por una marea creciente de polémica antimodernista, que ha ido de Heidegger al postmodernismo (aunque de forma ocasional e intermitente haya vuelto a prestársele atención)…
Hegel and the French Revolution
G. W. F. Hegel (1770–1831) has commonly been seen as Europe’s leading philosopher since Kant. His influence extended across the globe down to the Second World War – not least through his dissident disciple, Karl Marx. Since then, despite intermittent revivals, his importance has tended to be eclipsed by a rising tide of anti-modernist polemic, extending from Heidegger to postmodernism. Central to Hegel’s political thought was his view of the Fren…
History in the Humanities and Social Sciences
This interdisciplinary volume explores the relationship between history and a range of disciplines in the humanities and social sciences: economics, political science, political theory, international relations, sociology, philosophy, law, literature and anthropology. The relevance of historical approaches within these disciplines has shifted over the centuries. Many of them, like law and economics, originally depended on self-consciously historic…
History in the Humanities and Social Sciences
The Political Thought of the Irish Revolution
The Irish Revolution was a pivotal moment of transition for Ireland, the United Kingdom, and British Empire. A constitutional crisis that crystallised in 1912 electrified opinion in Ireland whilst dividing politics at Westminster. Instead of settling these differences, the advent of the First World War led to the emergence of new antagonisms. Republican insurrection was followed by a struggle for independence along with the partition of the islan…
History in the Humanities and Social Sciences
Jon Elster's ‘Enthusiasm and Anger in History’
This article comments on Jon Elster's anatomy of Anger and Enthusiasm
Political and religious ideas during the Irish Revolution
Intellectual historians have tended to focus either on shifts in sensibility or, more analytically, on the substance and structure of thought. They might usefully, however, examine both, as well as the reciprocal action of the one upon the other. This applies equally to political and religious ideas. In early twentieth-century Ireland, it was the relationship between religion and politics that stirred controversy. How would the institutions of ch…
European Empire and International Law From the Eighteenth to the Twentieth Century
In the 1821 Preface to his Elements of the philosophy of right , Hegel famously claimed that ‘philosophy...is its own time comprehended in thoughts ’. It is tempting to view history in equivalent terms. After all, historical research usually engages the past under the influence of contemporary concerns. Topics acquire pertinence on account of prevailing values and interests. And yet there is a clear difference between being roused to investigate …
Material incentives and Kantian optimisation
John Roemer has argued in favour of rehabilitating Kanitanism as an antidote to the kind of utilitarian incentivisation theories associated with neoliberal economics. This article asks whether the ethical thought of Kant is in fact fit for purpose. Placing Kant in dialogue with other contemporary enlightenment thinkers, it also questions whether ‘solidarist’ social theories solve the problems Roemer associates with their ‘selfish’ competitors, an…
Revising the Cambridge School
What is conservatism? History, ideology and party
Is there a political philosophy of conservatism? A history of the phenomenon written along sceptical lines casts doubt on the existence of a transhistorical doctrine, or even an enduring conservative outlook. The main typologies of conservatism uniformly trace its origins to opposition to the French Revolution. Accordingly, Edmund Burke is standardly singled out as the ‘father’ of this style of politics. Yet Burke was de facto an opposition Whig …
A Dreadful State of Things
This chapter details Burke's political life from 1777 to 1785. As Burke pondered the implications of a formal pact with the American colonies that might help bring to an end two years of angry warfare, the affairs of India were unexpectedly thrust onto the parliamentary agenda. It was in the aftermath of the violent deposition of Lord Pigot from his position as Governor of Madras in August 1776 that Burke's attention became focused on the transac…
What is conservatism? History, ideology and party
Is there a political philosophy of conservatism? A history of the phenomenon written along sceptical lines casts doubt on the existence of a transhistorical doctrine, or even an enduring conservative outlook. The main typologies of conservatism uniformly trace its origins to opposition to the French Revolution. Accordingly, Edmund Burke is standardly singled out as the ‘father’ of this style of politics. Yet Burke was de facto an opposition Whig …
Languages of Conflict and the Northern Ireland Troubles
Empire and Revolution
A major new account of one of the leading philosopher-statesmen of the eighteenth century Edmund Burke (1730–97) lived during one of the most extraordinary periods of world history. He grappled with the significance of the British Empire in India, fought for reconciliation with the American colonies, and was a vocal critic of national policy during three European wars. He also advocated reform in Britain and became a central protagonist in the gr…
Pocock and the Presuppositions of the New British History
This article recovers the rationale behind the project to found a ‘new’ British history undertaken by J. G. A. Pocock in the early 1970s, and contrasts this with the approach adopted in the subsequent historiography. The article argues that British history as conceived by Pocock was intended to transcend the parochialism of national history whilst also rehabilitating the writing of imperial history without succumbing to the temptations of metropo…
Liberty, Authority, and Trust in Burke's Idea of Empire
Etude de la theorie du gouvernement imperial developpee par Burke a partir de son experience de la vie politique anglaise et de son activite parlementaire dans la seconde moitie du XVIII e siecle. Comparant la politique de la civilite defendue par l'Angleterre, au gout de la liberte caracteristique aux Etats-Unis, l'A. met en evidence la dimension ciceronienne des discours de Burke sur l'administration de la justice imperiale et la definition de …
Revising the Cambridge School
The Princeton History of Modern Ireland
Scholars of Irish history chart the pivotal events in the history of modern Ireland while providing fresh perspectives on topics ranging from colonialism and nationalism to political violence, famine, emigration, and feminism
Edmund Burke and the Politics of Conquest
This article restores the context of political action to Burke's thinking about politics. It begins with the specific case of his interventions in the parliamentary debate over the Quebec Bill in 1774, and proceeds from this focal point to establish the centrality of the theme of conquest to his political motivation and understanding in general. Burke's preoccupation with conquest drove him to examine eighteenth-century British politics within a …
Party, Parliament, and Conquest in Newly Ascribed Burke Manuscripts
This article presents four manuscript essays from the mid-1750s, three of which are attributed to Edmund Burke for the first time. In doing so, the article aims to reconstruct Burke's earliest political thought during a period often described as the ‘missing years’ of his biography. These essays cover themes that would later occupy places of central importance in Burke's thinking, and so form a bridge between his early intellectual development an…
Enlightenment, Revolution and Democracy
Hegel and the French Revolution
G. W. F. Hegel (1770–1831) has commonly been seen as Europe’s leading philosopher since Kant. His influence extended across the globe down to the Second World War – not least through his dissident disciple, Karl Marx. Since then, despite intermittent revivals, his importance has tended to be eclipsed by a rising tide of anti-modernist polemic, extending from Heidegger to postmodernism. Central to Hegel’s political thought was his view of the Fren…
Reflections on the Political Thought of the Irish Revolution
Examining the political thought of the Irish Revolution poses two distinct problems. First, we need to establish how we should date the Revolution for the purposes of intellectual history. There is no doubting that the 1916 Easter Rising was an event in British and Irish politics, but it was also an event in the world of ideas. Any serious consideration of this episode and its aftermath therefore needs to trace its origins to patterns of thought …
European Empire and International Law From the Eighteenth to the Twentieth Century
In the 1821 Preface to his Elements of the philosophy of right , Hegel famously claimed that ‘philosophy...is its own time comprehended in thoughts ’. It is tempting to view history in equivalent terms. After all, historical research usually engages the past under the influence of contemporary concerns. Topics acquire pertinence on account of prevailing values and interests. And yet there is a clear difference between being roused to investigate …
Liberty, Authority, and Trust in Burke's Idea of Empire
Etude de la theorie du gouvernement imperial developpee par Burke a partir de son experience de la vie politique anglaise et de son activite parlementaire dans la seconde moitie du XVIII e siecle. Comparant la politique de la civilite defendue par l'Angleterre, au gout de la liberte caracteristique aux Etats-Unis, l'A. met en evidence la dimension ciceronienne des discours de Burke sur l'administration de la justice imperiale et la definition de …
Imperialism” and “Democracy” in Modern Ireland, 1898-2002
Research Article| February 01 2004 "Imperialism" and "Democracy" in Modern Ireland, 1898-2002 Richard Bourke Richard Bourke Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google boundary 2 (2004) 31 (1): 93–118. https://doi.org/10.1215/01903659-31-1-93 Cite Icon Cite Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Permissions Search Site Citation Richard Bourke; "Imperialism" and "Democracy" in Modern Ireland, 1898-2002. boundary 2 1 Febru…
Theoria Referees
Edmund Burke and the Politics of Conquest
This article restores the context of political action to Burke's thinking about politics. It begins with the specific case of his interventions in the parliamentary debate over the Quebec Bill in 1774, and proceeds from this focal point to establish the centrality of the theme of conquest to his political motivation and understanding in general. Burke's preoccupation with conquest drove him to examine eighteenth-century British politics within a …
The Politics of the Irish Civil War by Bill Kissane
Enlightenment, Revolution and Democracy
Political Judgement
From Plato to Max Weber, the attempt to understand political judgement took the form of a struggle to define the relationship between politics and morals. This book by leading international scholars in the fields of history, philosophy and politics restores the subject to a place at the very centre of political theory and practice. Whilst it provides a range of perspectives on the theme of practical reason, it also explores a series of related pr…
Book Symposium
Hobbes's place in the history of political philosophy is a highly controversial one. An international symposium held at Queen Mary, University of London in February 2009 was devoted to debating his significance and legacy. The event focussed on recent books on Hobbes by Quentin Skinner and Philip Pettit, and was organised around four commentaries on these new works by distinguished scholars. This paper is designed to introduce the subject of the …
Pocock and the Presuppositions of the New British History
This article recovers the rationale behind the project to found a ‘new’ British history undertaken by J. G. A. Pocock in the early 1970s, and contrasts this with the approach adopted in the subsequent historiography. The article argues that British history as conceived by Pocock was intended to transcend the parochialism of national history whilst also rehabilitating the writing of imperial history without succumbing to the temptations of metropo…
Languages of Conflict and the Northern Ireland Troubles
History of Political Thought
Journal Article History of Political Thought Get access German History, Volume 30, Issue 1, March 2012, Pages 75–99, https://doi.org/10.1093/gerhis/ghr126 Published: 01 March 2012
Party, Parliament, and Conquest in Newly Ascribed Burke Manuscripts
This article presents four manuscript essays from the mid-1750s, three of which are attributed to Edmund Burke for the first time. In doing so, the article aims to reconstruct Burke's earliest political thought during a period often described as the ‘missing years’ of his biography. These essays cover themes that would later occupy places of central importance in Burke's thinking, and so form a bridge between his early intellectual development an…
Empire and Revolution
Empire and Revolution
Rethinking Democracy
In many respects these books, like their authors, are very different. John Dunn has spent his career as a professional political theorist calling into question the dominant idioms of his discipline. In addition to historical research on political thought and revolutions, and studies of contemporary West African politics, this enterprise has included exposing the assumptions of liberal and Marxist ideologies. Since the 1970s, running alongside thi…
Empire and Revolution
A major new account of one of the leading philosopher-statesmen of the eighteenth century Edmund Burke (1730–97) lived during one of the most extraordinary periods of world history. He grappled with the significance of the British Empire in India, fought for reconciliation with the American colonies, and was a vocal critic of national policy during three European wars. He also advocated reform in Britain and became a central protagonist in the gr…
The Princeton History of Modern Ireland
Popular Sovereignty in Historical Perspective
This collaborative volume offers the first historical reconstruction of the concept of popular sovereignty from antiquity to the twentieth century. First formulated between the late sixteenth and mid-seventeenth centuries, the various early modern conceptions of the doctrine were heavily indebted to Roman reflection on forms of government and Athenian ideas of popular power. This study, edited by Richard Bourke and Quentin Skinner, traces success…
The Princeton History of Modern Ireland
Scholars of Irish history chart the pivotal events in the history of modern Ireland while providing fresh perspectives on topics ranging from colonialism and nationalism to political violence, famine, emigration, and feminism
A Dreadful State of Things
This chapter details Burke's political life from 1777 to 1785. As Burke pondered the implications of a formal pact with the American colonies that might help bring to an end two years of angry warfare, the affairs of India were unexpectedly thrust onto the parliamentary agenda. It was in the aftermath of the violent deposition of Lord Pigot from his position as Governor of Madras in August 1776 that Burke's attention became focused on the transac…
The Great Primaeval Contract
This chapter focuses on Burke's Reflections on the Revolution in France , which occupies a non-standard position within the canon of past political thought. Its production was determined by immediate circumstance rather than philosophical reflection. In terms of the conditions of its composition, the Reflections is roughly comparable to Locke's Two Treatises of Government insofar as both were prompted by compelling practicalities. But even here, …
Revolutionary Crescendo
This chapter details events in Burke's life from 1793 to 1797. On 1 February 1793, France declared war on Britain. Nine days later, Pitt's government reciprocated with its own declaration of hostilities. Burke now regarded French territory as occupied by an austere republic that had substituted enthusiasm for the military virtues for a culture of sociability and politeness. Given the exigent circumstances afflicting the British Empire, Burke cons…
The Blackwater, Ballitore, Trinity and the Reformer
Burke spent the first twenty years of his life in Ireland, dividing his time between Cork, Kildare, and Dublin. These different locations corresponded to distinct cultural environments: his Catholic relations, his Quaker school, and his Church of Ireland upbringing. As a youth he believed that custom could be educated by reason, enabling individuals to transcend their cultural confinement. It was only later, in the 1750s, that he came to contend …
The Philosophical Enquiry
This chapter focuses on Burke's Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful . Philosophical Enquiry takes up the thread of preoccupations that absorbed him throughout his twenties. It begins with an exploration of the classical theory of mixed emotions, focusing on Aristotle's signature categories of pity and terror. It proceeds to elucidate the affective psychology of manners, probing the feeling of exhilarati…
Party, Popularity and Dissent
This chapter details Burke's political life from 1765 to 1774. During his early years in parliament, developments in Britain and Ireland proved formative politically and intellectually for Burke. Throughout the course of his first years in the Commons, the main threat to domestic consensus seemed unlikely to come from the growth of religious conflict. In 1772, he opposed the idea of relieving the Anglican clergy of the duty of subscribing to the …
Political science (46 works) · Law (39 works) · Philosophy (38 works) · Politics (33 works) · History (30 works) · American Constitutional Law and Politics (28 works) · Sociology (24 works) · Epistemology (21 works) · Law (20 works) · Philosophy (19 works)