StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...

Burke's Distinction and Public Representation - Article Example

Cite this document
Summary
Edmund Burke is responsible for the creation of a philosophical framework of thought that can be put to use in the analysis of economic and political systems anywhere in the world. What has been called Burke's Distinction refers to a method of separating two closely related components of society and analysing their relationship to one another in terms of interest and opinion…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER96.8% of users find it useful
Burkes Distinction and Public Representation
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Burke's Distinction and Public Representation"

Download file to see previous pages

Although public opinion is downplayed in this relationship, it certainly has its place in terms of public representation simply because the electorate must feel placated. The primary role of a public representative is, however, to understand the difference between opinion and interest, and to legislate with the best interests of the people in mind. Public representatives must work to find a balance between the focus of opinion and interest. Edmund Burke described the mentality of human society as being based on two basic principles: the people's interests and the people's opinions.

These have been the foundation of Burke's Distinction, a theoretical framework of behaviour that has been used to study economics and politics as they pertain to public will and necessity. Burke's Distinction refers to the distinct forces of both interest and opinion, and describes how these forces relate to one another in terms of human character and motivation (Gargarella, 2001, 13). Burke's reference to people's interests is his idea that political or economic change will come as a result of successful government that understands the basic difference between whim and necessity. . existence and unrestricted by conscious efforts, public interest has always been and will always remain fundamentally the same in that it must be addressed for survival purposes (Stanlis, 1958, 179).

Public interest, in Burke's view, is therefore distinguished from public opinion because of its almost autonomous status (Hoffman et al, 1956, 177). Whether Burke's Distinction is called upon to analyse politics or economics, the force of public interest is always the scientific factor involved in the analysis. This is important because proper scientific breakdown can show how public interest is different from public opinion quickly and easily; although often the motivations behind the two are the same, Burke's Distinction shows which issues demand the attention of a governing body and which may simply be trendy at the time.

Public opinion subsequently can be used to represent not only the popular opinion of a community but often the result of mass misinformation. According to Burke, popular opinion is very often cultivated from small truths which are stretched and skewed to an unrecognisable state upon which people then begin to make judgements (Somerset and Burke, 1957, 89). This can relate to international affairs, internal issues, economy, political systems themselves and virtually any facet of public or private life.

Burke doesn't necessarily suggest that group mentality is fundamentally different than individual mentality; he simply points out that what can in one person's mind be an issue worth gathering more information about becomes an escalated, un-researched issue in the hands of an entire society at once. While public representatives need to always keep an eye on public opinion (after all, public opinion equates to the outcome of an election)

...Download file to see next pages Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Burke's Distinction and Public Representation Article”, n.d.)
Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/biographies/1521338-burkes-distinction-and-public-representation
(Burke'S Distinction and Public Representation Article)
https://studentshare.org/biographies/1521338-burkes-distinction-and-public-representation.
“Burke'S Distinction and Public Representation Article”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/biographies/1521338-burkes-distinction-and-public-representation.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Burke's Distinction and Public Representation

Rivane Neuenschwander

As an artistic movement, postmodernism has moved artistic expression away from the two-dimensional painting that appeals only to the eye in favor of more interactive pieces designed to engage the audience on a variety of levels at once.... hellip; The idea behind this expression is that there is a difference between the form of the image and the actual content of the image (Lyotard, 1984)....
5 Pages (1250 words) Term Paper

Changes that Would Take Place if A Country Changed From a Unitary to a Federal System

Comparative public administration brings about the understanding of the institutional structures of government in different governmental administration.... In addition, how relationship and power sharing affect the different public servants in their different positional capacity.... In this view, Bakvis (1980:4) argues, "The distinction between federal and non-federal systems is not clear-cut....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

The Vague Discrepancies between Law and Opinion

hellip; At the same time, many innocent people have been convicted for crimes they didn't commit, simply because they were unable to afford reasonable representation.... He finds that the public has no genuine representation in democratic societies.... Pierre Bourdieu asserts that public opinion does not exist.... This poses the question, how should we conceive public opinion If it is true that the public does not exist, than the real question is, whose opinion is public opinion Rational Choice Theory poses that idea that human beings form their opinions and decisions based on collective observations and calculations....
6 Pages (1500 words) Essay

Development of Professionalism in new Registered Nurses

Physicians have known for a long time that developing relationships with patients and projecting a positive public image helps build a practice; however, this may be a new experience for the entry-level nurse.... Additionally, nurses have an integral role in health care delivery in the United States, and they need to create a positive public image individually and collectively....
18 Pages (4500 words) Essay

Criminal Law and Historical Focus

(Landau, 2002) In presenting England's criminal law, Blackstone a common lawyer of earlier generation, chose not to highlight settled procedural distinctions and arcane terms, but instead he invoked a distinctive kind of legal wrong he identified as "public" in nature.... During the period 1700-1800 significant changes occurred throughout England's system of criminal justice not only in the criminal law, but also in criminal procedures, in prisons, and in punishments and cumulatively these procedures acted as the grounds for transforming the system of judicial administration....
11 Pages (2750 words) Essay

Experiments with Female Characters in Howard Barker's The Castle

Howard Barker: playwright, poet, visual artist, and essayist.... Barker encompasses the total, complete and methodical approach to theatre and the construction of mise-en-scene.... In this he shares much in common with European theatre practitioners, such as Antonin Artaud and Bertolt Brecht.... hellip; He is not typical of the British theatre establishment and has often alienated himself from them....
12 Pages (3000 words) Book Report/Review

The Rights of Man by Thomas Paine

In fact, America won freedom from England only because of the spirit of liberty and the nation didn't want to follow taxation without their representation in the parliament.... burke's bitter opposition to the revolution electrified England and Thomas Paine wrote "The Rights of Man" in order to refute the ideas presented by Burke.... As Burke had fought for the American independence, Paine believed him also side with the French revolution, but when burke's pamphlet appeared denouncing the revolution, Paine could not help but retaliate with equal force and criticized severely burke's ideology about rights of man....
9 Pages (2250 words) Book Report/Review

Library Information, the Importance of Critical Thinking

public libraries by households of people from different world regions” (Burke, 2008, p.... In the report, it is stated that the importance of critical thinking and evidence-based practice in librarianship makes knowledge of different research principles necessary for information specialists....
10 Pages (2500 words) Assignment
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us