Thomas P: Burke, Paine and Neighbourhood in International Politics

Burke, Paine and Neighbourhood in International Politics Patrick E. Thomas Presented in Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctorate Aberystwyth University 2013 Contents Declarations iii Summary iv Acknowledgements v Conventions vi Introduction 1 Chapter 1 – The Perennial Question in International Politics 17 Burke Chapter 2 – Introduction: the British-Irish Neighbourhood 53 Chapter 3 – America: A Neighbourhood of Blood 59 Chapter 4 – India: A Neighbourhood of Strangers 91 Chapter 5 – France: A Neighbourhood of Neighbours and the Threat of Revolution 125 Paine Chapter 6 – Introduction: Early Writings and the Foundations of Neighbourhood 161 Chapter 7 – Common Sense in America: Escaping the Hostile Neighbourhood 171 Chapter 8 – American Crisis and the Creation of a New World 202 Chapter 9 – Rights of Man and the Regeneration of the European Neighbourhood 233 Conclusion 263 Bibliography 279 ii Declaration This work has not previously been accepted in substance for any degree and is not being concurrently submitted in candidature for any degree. Signed Patrick E. Thomas Date 21 / 08 / 2013 This thesis is the result of my own investigations, except where otherwise stated. Other sources are acknowledged by footnotes giving explicit references. A bibliography is appended. Signed Patrick E. Thomas Date 21 / 08 / 2013 I hereby give consent for my thesis, if accepted, to be available for photocopying and for inter- library loan, and for the title and summary to be made available to outside organisations. Signed Patrick E. Thomas Date 21 / 08 / 2013 iii Summary This thesis recovers and examines what are termed the neighbourhood aspects of Edmund Burke’s and Thomas Paine’s thought. These neighbourhood ideas reveal a conception of politics in both writers that makes no distinction between the different scales of human action. This is a way of thinking about the relations of people and communities that has been overlooked by those studying the history of international political thought, as it does not conform to the prevailing image of ‘international’ thought. It is argued that a dichotomised conception of politics divided into domestic and international realms of action became dominant in the nineteenth century and shaped both the way we think about the world and the values embodied in our present ways of life. By recovering this alternative neighbourhood conception, we are able to consider with a new sense of possibility what we think about the concept and values we have inherited. The thesis adapts Quentin Skinner’s arguments about the method of studying the history of political thought to argue that there is a much broader history of international political thought that can be drawn upon. The thesis examines Burke and Paine’s arguments and involvement in some of the most significant events of the late eighteenth century. It explores how the neighbourhood perspective shaped their ideas and arguments about the relations between Britain and the American Colonies and the establishment of an independent America. It considers Burke arguments in regards to Britain’s involvement in India through the East India Company and how neighbourhood ideas shaped his vision of Empire. Finally it considers Burke’s and Paine’s different reaction to the French Revolution, and their common concern for the growing dominance of the conception of politics that saw people and communities as isolated, autonomous individuals, rather than socially constituted beings. iv Acknowledgements I would like to thank my supervisors, Will Bain, Howard Williams, Huw Williams and Andrew Linklater. They provided me with invaluable guidance and support, as well as showing great patience in letting me develop my ideas and understanding of the subject. I would especially like to thank Andrew for helping and pushing me in the final year of the project. This thesis would not have been completed without the support and encouragement that I have received from my family. To my dad Peter, I am so grateful for all of your support and encouragement, the many hours you listened to me talk about my ideas, and the days you talked to me about the Toon to give me a break from writing. To my stepfather Tim, you have been so encouraging and so generous with your time and pushed me to make clear what I am saying, for this I am eternally grateful. To my mum Caroline, I would not have been able to do this without all of your support, you have believed in me and words cannot describe how grateful I am. Most of all I want to thank my beautiful, amazing wife. Julie, you moved you 3,000 miles to live in deepest darkest Wales and I know it has not always been easy. You have been my rock and my inspiration. v Conventions Bibliography – This lists all of the sources referenced in the thesis. It also lists a few secondary authorities that, while not directly referenced, have helped to shape my understanding of the historical and intellectual context in which Burke and Paine wrote, as well as the interpretations that have been made of their political thought. Gender – Gendered terms like he, man, men and mankind are used here because they are the terms employed by the authors. It is clear that when gendered terms like ‘men’ were used in the original works, they were not necessarily intended to differentiate between men and women, and in this thesis I have followed that original usage. I am cognisant of problems surrounding the gendered use of language and where possible have attempted to use neutral language. However, I made the choice to follow the author’s original usage in order to avoid confusion and facilitate discussion. Where I have made my own arguments, I used gender-neutral language. Quotation – All quotation used here replicates how the author originally presented his/her argument. I have kept the original spelling of words and all emphasis found in quotations are added by the original author. The only exception to this is where minor changes have been made in capitalization or tense to aid the flow of reading. All such changes have been indicated by the use of brackets [ ]. Referencing – The Notes and Bibliography system is used here with a few minor variations. As the thesis draws heavily on the collected works of both Burke and Paine, to best indicate where and when an argument was made the primary title reference used is the particular document, speech or letter. The very first reference to each document in every chapter includes the original date of publication and the printed volume location of the text and bibliographic information. After, the title of the document is used and the page reference to the collection volume is given. To avoid unnecessarily long references, the full bibliographic reference to the printed volume of Burke’s or Paine’s writings is given for its first inclusion in a chapter, but thereafter referred to in abbreviated form. For example: vi 1 E. Burke, ‘A Vindication of Natural Society’ [1756], Writings and Speeches of Edmund Burke: Volume I The Early Writings, (ed.) T.O. McLoughlin & J.T. Boulton, (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1997). And subsequently: 2 Burke, ‘A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origins of Ideas of Sublime and the Beautiful’ [1757], Writings I. Tenses – As the discussion of Burke’s and Paine’s writings is primarily historical, the past tense is used to describe their arguments in reference to particular events, people and nations. Although, there are a number of places throughout this analysis where Burke or Paine have not been talking about issues in relation to particular historical events but rather have sought to make a point about human beings as such. In these instances, the use of the past tense appears inappropriate and may even lead to confusion in meaning, and so the present tense is used to best represent their thought. vii Introduction Neighbourhood is a term that appears in prominent and significant places in the writings of two of the most influential political figures of the late eighteenth century, Edmund Burke and Thomas Paine. Its use is more than a simple analogical reference to communities of streets and houses; it signifies a way of thinking about the relations of people that sees no distinction between local, national and international. Both Burke and Paine ‘wrote as with individuals so with nations’ and the idea of neighbourhood in their thought helps us to understand their view of the world composed, not of autonomous individuals or states, but rather a great number of mutually constitutive communities that shape and govern people’s lives. This is an aspect of their thought that has been overlooked and an approach to thinking about politics that has been forgotten, as it does not conform to the hegemonic view of politics, a view that has been in place since the Enlightenment, which divides politics into domestic and international concerns. In particular, this neighbourhood view does not fit with the image of ‘international’ thought that has defined the study of International Relations (IR). By recovering this alternative perspective, it is intended that we not only gain an understanding of the different ways in which relations between peoples have been thought about, but as Quentin Skinner argues, we also gain a greater understanding of ideas and values embodied in our present ways of life.1 In spite of their different judgements on the state of politics in their day, the idea of neighbourhood is central in both Burke and Paine arguments. This study is primarily a history of ideas recovering the neighbourhood aspects of their thought. With this in mind there are four key themes that establish, introduce and run through this project. I. The domestic-international split that has created certain understandings of the world and assumptions about politics, and resulted in ideas such as neighbourhood being overlooked and lost.

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