French Revolution: Burke, Wollstonecraft, and Paine

Prior to 1800, power in France was concentrated in the monarchy. Society tended to be based around hierarchical classes founded on inheritance and feudalism. After 1800, however, power throughout Europe became more democratic and a shift from agriculture to industrialization was seen in many nations. Much of these changes arose from the ideas of the enlightenment, which included that of equality and justice. These principles drove many radicals to question the oppression of the absolute monarchy and the feudal system, which eventually would lead to the French Revolution in the late 1700’s.
Many of the Romantic writers of the time included Edmund Burke, Mary Wollstonecraft, and Thomas Paine. These writers could not help but to be influenced by the French Revolution, which was a controversial and important topic. In 1790, Edmund Burke published Reflections on the Revolution in France, which he felt compelled to write after the royal family including King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were arrested. In this essay, Burke adamantly opposes the revolution on the foundation of tradition and conservatism. Not soon after, Mary Wollstonecraft writes A Vindication of the Rights of Men addressed in a letter to Burke countering many of his arguments in support of the cause. Thomas Paine, another advocate of the revolution, also wrote a rebuttal to Burke’s reflection titled The Rights of Man. Many arguments were addressed on either side from each of these three Romantics, however I plan to explore the idea of inheritance and its role in the French Revolution based on the ideas of Burke, Wollstonecraft, and Paine.
Burke points out that France had “an inheritable crown; an inheritable peerage; and a House of Commons and a people inheriting privileges, franchises and liberties, from a long line of ancestors” and he believes that this system came about as a “result of profound reflection; or rather the happy effect of following nature, which is wisdom without reflection (p. 49)”. Essentially, Burke believed that the system of inheritance that France has developed is inherently right and he supports it for no other reason than it is advantageous to retain tradition. Burke goes on to state that “we procure reverence to our civil institutions on the principle upon which nature teaches us to revere individual men; on account of their age (p. 50)”. Again, we respect our elders because of the fact that they have lived and been through things that we haven’t and thus have earned our respect. He equates respecting one's elders to respecting the established system of inheritance and government in France.
Wollstonecraft, supporter of the revolution and the ending of the system of inheritance, counters many of Burke’s arguments. For instance, she believes that civilization in Europe has stopped progressing due to “hereditary property--hereditary honors (p. 58)”. Wollstonecraft describes how girls are sacrificed for one’s family through marriage and how second and third sons are cast aside in light of the eldest son. She believes that people like Burke find it easier to “justify oppression than correct abuses (p. 62)” and that true justice comes from the basis of equality. Paine, like Wollstonecraft, supported the French Revolution, but instead of giving alternatives to the system of inheritance, Paine simply attacks Burke’s outright support of tradition. Alternatively, Paine states that “Every age and generation must be as free to act for itself in all cases as the ages and generations which preceded it (p. 65)”. Just because monarchy worked for a prior generation is not reason enough to continue with the system in a new generation. He doesn’t like the idea of past laws being able to control the present and future.