Edmund Burke for Our Time

Moral Imagination, Meaning, and Politics

William F. Byrne

Narrated by Gary Willprecht

Available from Audible

Book published by Cornell University Press

This highly readable book offers a contemporary interpretation of the political thought of Edmund Burke, drawing on his experiences to illuminate and address fundamental questions of politics and society that are of particular interest today. In Edmund Burke for Our Time, Byrne asserts that Burke's politics is reflective of unique and sophisticated ideas about how people think and learn and about determinants of political behavior.

REVIEWS:

“Byrne's prose is highly readable, and his reading of Burke both plausible and illuminating.”

—Byrne's prose is highly readable, and his reading of Burke both plausible and illuminating.

“By focusing on Burke's imagination, Byrne illuminates the core of Burke's political theory, his intuitive conception of life. What is especially remarkable about the book is that it analyzes a complex topic in lucid prose and relates Burke's ideas to contemporary political and social life. Consequently, Byrne has provided an analysis of Burke that is both weighty enough for the expert and accessible to general readers.”

—Michael P. Federici, Professor of Political Science at Mercyhurst College

“There is much insight in this book regarding the role of history and habit in shaping individuals, groups, and societies, and especially the distinction between casuistry and character development in Burke's thought. These points make this study stand out from the pragmatic readings of Burke, which make him seem un- or even anti-philosophical, as well as the more strict natural law reading.”

—Bruce Frohnen, Associate Professor Law, Ohio Northern University College of Law