The Great Debate: Edmund Burke, Thomas Paine, and the Birth of Right and Left

For more than two centuries, American political life has been divided between a party of progress and a party of conservation. In "The Great Debate", Yuval Levin explores the origins of the Left/Right divide by examining the views of the men who best represented each side of that debate at its outset: Edmund Burke and Thomas Paine. Levin shows that American partisanship originated in these two ideological titans' fiery debates over the French Revolution.

[@cuntbeardthepussypirate4946]

I came here after listening to Hitchens' lecture on Thomas Paine. I'm glad to say, I found this to be very informative.

[@martinstraus6663]

Iî i was I ii ii the I i I I I I i

[@EmmanuelGoldstein74]

If you want to skip the unnecessarily long and useless pre introduction and introduction the lecture begins at 6:25. No need to thank me.

[@jamesolsson9705]

Despite your admonition to the contrary, THANKS!!!

[@josephquinn9074]

As an admirer of Paine it was an interesting exercise in hearing the other viewpoint explained by the Burkeian lobby. Balanced and informative. The overlap, scant as it is, occurs in the pragmatic issues of government in that operating solely from either wing neglects the relevant and practical benefits of some elements of the opposing principles.

[@OLOHEKAI]

Truly outstanding and very appropriate to come across today as this is Bastille Day...

[@whiff1962]

Brilliant and personally enlightening lecture.

[@drivesmecrazy1000]

Wow. That was great. Thanks!

[@davidgoldin5759]

What passes for a conservative in the USA in 2018 has nothing to do with Edmund Burke.

[@biblicalworldview1]

I agree. And what passes for a liberal has even less to do with Thomas Paine.

[@analogia_entis]

But both reduce to RELIGION

[@samadb8699]

I watched this to increase my knowledge of Burke and Paine. I was hesitant because it is an academic speaker who may not hit the mark and I was right. The guy who spoke said that the lefts approach to social policy (the welfare state) in the mid 20th Century was an 'egalitarian ideal of justice advanced through the application of technical expertise. Nothing could be further from the truth. Welfare was intended to lock in an electorate through dependency on welfare championed by the Democrats and also to eliminate the man from the family while promoting single motherhood. I.e if there is a man in the house then no welfare. Net result is distruction of family life in low income house holds leading to low educational attainment and a cycle of dependency which ensures generation after generation of 'grateful' welfare recipient's voting democrate. LBJ is on record as saying I will get those people voting democrate for the next 200 years (via dependancy). And his statedbwith absolute sincerity that politicians do not have venal Motives? Sorry how does a politician with no outside interests and whibhas only ever been a politician on a few hundred thousand a year end up with a property portfolio worth 10's of millions? There are multiple other examples of nest feathering. THIS GUY LIVES IN AN ALTERNATIVE UNIVERSE AND I NOT WORTH LISTENING TO. I ONLY MADE IT TO 25 MINUTES. RIDICULOUS.

[@kyleolcott1769]

The quote from LBJ wasn't on the record and no one can definitively prove he said it. Although, based on LBJ's character it makes sense for him to have said it. Regardless, I find it odd that you manipulated the quote and added "though dependency" when the quote was likely referencing the Civil Rights Act, which is a far cry from welfare.

[@22julip]

In a way it’s not left and right but up and down . Our ability and our progress could only be done with Gods blessing . Paine means well and as a person we want to think we can construct our culture like we construct our home or personal environment . Or what FA Hayek said it’s culture survival of the fittest culture , or David Hume who said morality is not the conclusion of our reason . So our reason is not a sufficient cause of our progress. I’m with Burke .

[@-dash]

Excellent.

[@AverageAnother]

is there a transcrpt for this

[@josiahhaas4067]

Awesome

[@zachfoster5653]

29:00

[@itsgabony]

I would love to see trump try and answer these questions.

[@jamesolsson9705]

The value of Trump has been demonstrated in many ways other than his ability to articulate the nuanced positions of Burke and Paine. His efforts to deregulate; to appoint conservative judges; to leverage tariffs against Mexico to stop northbound caravans out of El Salvador, Guatemala, etc.; to deprecate the "entangling" Kyoto and Paris Treaties, TPP, NAFTA, etc. is admirable. His administration kick-started the sluggish Obama economy despite efforts by the Left to hamstring him at every turn. Three years ago, however, I was skeptical that he was authentically conservative. TRUMP IN 2020!!!

[@itsgabony]

@@jamesolsson9705 Could you please send me the link for a video of Trump talking about Burke and/or Paine.

[@itsgabony]

@@jamesolsson9705 Sorry perhaps I made the wrong request. Could you please send me a link to Trump giving some detailed analysis in to the reasons why the Kyoto and Paris Treaties are bad for America?

[@analogia_entis]

@@itsgabony Quite obvious why they are...China is hugely increasing coal use NOW and India too YET we are going after Africe that needs this for education, health, and clothing.

[@savethefamily-savetheworld5539]

Surely Locke's philosophy is based on the human disposition. Not in idealism

[@siddharthamishra1999]

Not sure if idealism is quite the right term, but the doctrine championed by Locke and borrowed by Paine, the rights of man, isn't grounded in much if you take away Locke's biblical justification