Edmund Burke, a masterful political thinker, possessed a rare gift for metaphor. He could distill complex societal shifts into a single, searing image. Perhaps none is more resonant than his declaration: “Old religious factions are volcanoes burnt out.” This powerful statement captures a pivotal moment in history. It also offers a timeless warning about the nature of human conflict. To understand its depth, we must journey back to the turbulent world Burke inhabited.
A World in Upheaval
Edmund Burke wrote his most famous work, Reflections on the Revolution in France, in 1790 . Europe was on the brink of radical change. The French Revolution had begun, shaking the foundations of monarchy, aristocracy, and the church. For centuries, the continent’s most violent conflicts had been religious. Wars between Catholics and Protestants had torn nations apart. These struggles defined politics and society for generations. Source
However, by the late 18th century, the intensity of these religious wars had waned. While sectarian tensions certainly remained, they no longer fueled massive, continent-spanning conflicts. Governments had established a fragile, yet functional, peace. Burke observed this relative calm and saw the old religious hatreds as smoldering embers, not a raging inferno. The great volcanoes of religious dogma, which had once spewed fire and ash across the land, now stood as quiet, scarred mountains. Their destructive power seemed spent.
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The Volcano and the Ash
Burke’s choice of a “volcano” is brilliantly insightful. Volcanoes are primal, powerful forces of nature. They are not easily controlled by human reason. Similarly, he viewed deep-seated religious belief as a fundamental, almost geological, feature of society. It could lie dormant for ages. Yet, when it erupted, it could reshape the entire landscape with devastating force. The metaphor perfectly captures the awe and terror that religious fanaticism inspired.
But the crucial part of his phrase is “burnt out.” This suggests a definitive end to a cycle of eruption. The internal pressures that once caused violent explosions have dissipated. The lava has cooled into hard rock. While the mountain—the history of the conflict—is still there, it no longer poses an immediate threat. Edmund Burke: Reflections on the Revolut… believed that society had, in a sense, moved past the point where differences in Christian doctrine would lead to total war. The energy had shifted elsewhere.
The New Active Volcano: Political Dogma
Burke’s observation was not one of relief, but of profound concern. He saw a new, far more dangerous volcano beginning to rumble. This new threat was not rooted in ancient scripture or religious tradition. Instead, it was the abstract, radical ideology of the French revolutionaries. They promoted concepts like the “rights of man” as a new gospel. Furthermore, they demanded the complete dismantling of existing institutions in pursuit of a utopian vision.
This new political fanaticism, Burke argued, was more volatile than the old religious kind. Religious conflicts, for all their horror, operated within certain established frameworks and traditions. In contrast, the revolutionary ideology had no limits. It was a purely human invention, untethered from history or divine authority. Consequently, its proponents felt justified in committing any atrocity to achieve their perfect society. They were building a new religion of the state, and it demanded absolute devotion.
Burke feared this new secular dogma would produce a fanaticism more total and destructive than anything seen before. He correctly predicted that this new volcano would erupt with unprecedented violence, leading to the Reign of Terror and the Napoleonic Wars. It sought not just to defeat its enemies, but to completely erase the old world and build a new one from scratch. Edmund Burke on the French Rev…
Are Burke’s Volcanoes Still Dormant?
Today, we must ask if Burke’s assessment holds true. In many parts of the world, religious conflicts are tragically far from burnt out. His observation was specific to his European context. Yet, his core insight about the nature of conflict remains incredibly relevant. He identified the human tendency to channel fervent, absolute belief into a cause, whether religious or secular.
Many observers now argue that our modern political divisions have taken on the character of religious warfare. People increasingly treat political ideologies not as a set of debatable policies, but as infallible moral doctrines. Political opponents are often seen not as fellow citizens with different ideas, but as heretics who must be silenced. This tribalism, fueled by social media and partisan news, creates deep and volatile fissures in society.
These modern political factions often demand total allegiance. They provide their followers with a sense of identity, community, and moral certainty. In doing so, they function much like the religious factions of old. We may have swapped one set of dogmas for another, but the underlying volcanic potential for conflict remains. The question for us is whether these new volcanoes are merely smoking or are preparing to erupt.
In summary, Edmund Burke: Political Philosopher and …‘s metaphor is a profound piece of political wisdom. It captures the historic shift from religious to secular ideological conflict. More importantly, it serves as a timeless warning. We must remain vigilant against any ideology, religious or political, that claims absolute truth and demands the destruction of its opponents. The landscape of human history is littered with burnt-out volcanoes. Our enduring challenge is to prevent new ones from erupting.