Reflections on the Revolution in France was written by Edmund Burke on….hold on….. 1790! (long long long time ago)
Actually, I decided to read the book because of two reasons:
1. I needed it for my British History class (I had to make an essay about Edmund Burke).
2. Lately I had this thing with French revolution. Not only because we’ve discussed it in class, but also because of the newest Coldplay album (ahahhah). Y know, genius of them, Coldplay used French revolution as the main theme on their newest album. And I was a bit curious about the lyric of Viva la Vida, so then I did some research.. Ta da!! Then I found out that the song is about the beheaded King Louis XVI of France.. (alasan yang aneh gak sih? Gapapa lah ya)

My Review of Reflections on the Revolution in France:
Although it’s kind of hard even just to start reading the book… (boo, tolong, bahasanya bahasa Inggris jadul, bukunya pun sudah lecek karena gue pinjem dari perpus pusat UI), when I finally started reading it, I found myself loving it.
SUMMARY
The Revolution in France was greeted with positive enthusiasm by many people across Europe. They believed that the revolution would do well for the French government and its people. However, in this book, Edmund Burke became a strong rejecter of the French Revolution! Burke criticizes the architects of the French Revolution and the new revolutionary government for their unyielding radicalism and destruction of society’s institutions. In Burke’s view, a change with radicalism is not good. And sounds the alarm of unchecked liberty: ‘the power in the hands of masses is just as great a threat for the liberty itself, just as when it lies in the hand of a dictator king’.
RAISA SAYS
At first I saw the book as the anti-democratic piece of work. I mean, this man must have been out of his mind for rejecting the idea of revolution in France! (Yet he was actually well-known for being a supporter of human rights because he supported American Revolution)
Didn’t he know how much good it would make for the French government and the people of France themselves??? He must have loved monarchy so much then.
BUT.. after reading and rereading it, I changed my mind. I think his ideas are mostly right.. It’s not that he didn’t want a change; he wanted the change done in a right way.
What amazed me so much is how Burke could predict all. He published the book at the time the French Revolution had just begun, but he could predict all bad things that would happen. The radicalism happened in France during the French Revolution was a bit uncontrolled. What happened then? The French beheaded King Louis XVI (the one who’s in Coldplay’s Viva La Vida ;p) and also his wife Marie Antoinette, a government of terror ruled France, then Napoleon Bonaparte took power (started another dictator government). I am so amazed how Burke foretold it all; in the exact order it would occur.
Edmund burke was a genius for certain and had an extraordinary insight came from his extensive study of history. His genius extends to more than just prediction. He understood the full breadth of political philosophy, and explained it all with crystal clerity.
Here is a sample from either end:
From the liberal side: ‘The world one the whole gain by liberty, without which virtue cannot exist’
From the conservative side: “The effect of liberty to individuals is, that they may do what they please. We ought to see what it will please them to do, before we risk congratulations, which may be soon turned into complaints.”
How true that last quote proved, as the British and Americans (and also some French, I think) went from admiring French revolution, to hating it, within very few years.

For me, this is one of the best works of political literature ever written. Those who want a glimpse at the French Revolution, this is a good primary source to build upon. Or, for those who want to know the bedrock of modern conservatism, it’s kind of fun to read, you won’t be sorry!!

11 Comments
Tiyaz
November 28th, 2008 at 9:21 pm · Edit

Holy GOD.
I tried to read it, and I fell asleep the second I smell the dust coming from the book. Gw bc review lo aje dah!
tyo
November 29th, 2008 at 3:18 am · Edit

Masya Allah, jangan harap gue pernah nyentuh buku semacam ini cha, najiss deh. hehe
Elok knapa kaga masuk jurusan politik aja cha?
Kiki
November 29th, 2008 at 3:19 am · Edit

Lah, berarti salah donk ya gw? tak kirain Viva la Vida itu lagu tentang napoleon, ternyata tentang louis y, huweee, dodol saya!
shinta
November 29th, 2008 at 3:57 pm · Edit

Icha…….nih shinta baca blog-nyaa..
ya ampun cha, di blog aja masih ngebahas bahan kuliah?? Istigfar cha, istigfar!! (lol)
Dee
November 29th, 2008 at 10:21 pm · Edit

Gw disuruh anak2 bc post-an lo yg plg br,TERNYATA INI. Cha,kalo di dunia ini uda gda bku lg,and I’m bored to death,mungkin gw bkal bc. mungkin ya,g janji,;p

.
cherish
December 1st, 2008 at 3:24 am · Edit

minjem Ca bukunya…*mau sok2an aja,,,hahahaha* kayaknya menarik sekali tuh,,,*crossing my finger* hahahaha…
raisaraisa
December 1st, 2008 at 2:56 pm · Edit

Ahhaha, maaf people, post-an yang ini agak membuat mual ya, hehe. tidak bermaksud loh. Bahkan gw sampe ditampar sgala,, hehe. peace out!
Zita
December 1st, 2008 at 3:06 pm · Edit

Hey, i’ve heard some people guessing about the meaing of the song Viva la Vida, and they’ve come up with so many interpretation.

I guess it’s about a person who had some power, maybe a good job or social position, and now it’s not that way anymore… It’s filled with cultural quotations, which is great, and well I believe this song can be a mirror for us al, don’t ya think? but yeah, it’s also possible that the song tells a story about louis the XVI. what happened to him? cos honestly, I forgot!
raisaraisa
December 1st, 2008 at 3:16 pm · Edit

Hi Zita, thanks thanks thanks for giving comment, I love your blog!! hehe

Anyway, why I think Viva la Vida is about King Louis XVI? hm, first of all Chris Martin gave some insight on the inspiration for the song in an interview, stating that it was about a king who messed up, realizing that he didn’t do such a great job now that he sees the revolutionaries at his doorstep.

I think the only king who fits the explanation is Louis XVI.. he became the king of France in a very young age (19 years old), he messed up of being a king, and then he was executed by guillotine. what da ya think too, zita??
maul
December 1st, 2008 at 3:20 pm · Edit

Hmm.. I totally agree with your opinion cha, some said that the song is about Bonaparte (noh, si Kiki di atas), but personally your explanation is more possible.
Jadi yang bagian ‘revolutionaries wait for my head on a silver plate’.. itu maksudnya yang pas dia mau dieksekusi? wah, kau pintar! dasar anak sastra
Onta
December 18th, 2008 at 5:29 pm · Edit

OH NO, not this one, teringat masa lalu, oh tidak