Vindication of a Natural Society, A

The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature | 2003 | 700+ words | Copyright

Vindication of a Natural Society, A, a treatise by E. Burke, published anonymously 1756, his first substantial work. It is an ironical answer to Bolingbroke's indictment of revealed religion, in imitation of his style and in the form of a reductio ad absurdum; it was so successful a parody that even Warburton was deceived by it, and in 1765 Burke published another edition with a preface explaining his ironical stance. Bolingbroke had exalted the claims of natural religion by pointing to the unfortunate results of religious creeds; Burke points to the evil results of artificial society and the artificial division of rich and poor, but expects his exposition to reinforce ‘the necessity of political institutions, weak and wicked as they are’.

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

MLA
Chicago
APA

MARGARET DRABBLE and JENNY STRINGER. "Vindication of a Natural Society, A." The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

MARGARET DRABBLE and JENNY STRINGER. "Vindication of a Natural Society, A." The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O54-VindicationofaNaturalScty.html

MARGARET DRABBLE and JENNY STRINGER. "Vindication of a Natural Society, A." The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature. 2003. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O54-VindicationofaNaturalScty.html

Learn more about citation styles