Question

Given below are two statements one is labelled as Assertion (A) and the other is labelled as Reason (R).
Assertion (A): Burke criticised the French Revolution.
Reason (R): Thomas Paine's book, 'Rights of Man' was written in response to Rousseau.
In the light of the above statements, choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below:

• A. Both (A) and (R) are correct and (R) is the correct explanation of (A)
• B. Both (A) and (R) are correct but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A)
• C. (A) is correct but (R) is not correct
• D. (A) is not correct but (R) is correct

Hint:

Burke vs. Paine is the classic debate between Conservatism (Tradition) and Radicalism (Rights). Paine wrote to rebut Burke, not Rousseau.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Concept: This question explores the 18th-century intellectual debate regarding the French Revolution, primarily between Edmund Burke and Thomas Paine.

Step 1: Evaluating Assertion (A).
Assertion (A) is correct. Edmund Burke, in his famous work *Reflections on the Revolution in France* (1790), was a fierce critic of the revolution. As the father of modern conservatism, he argued that society should change through gradual evolution, not violent, radical upheaval that destroys established traditions and institutions.

Step 2: Evaluating Reason (R).
Reason (R) is incorrect. While Thomas Paine's *Rights of Man* (1791) is a seminal political text, it was written as a direct response to Edmund Burke, not Rousseau. Paine defended the French Revolution and the concept of natural rights against Burke’s traditionalist attack.

Step 3: Identifying the Real Target.
Burke's book was the trigger for the entire "Revolution Controversy" in Britain. Paine wrote *Rights of Man* to argue that every generation has the right to determine its own governance and that the "rights of the living" should not be dictated by the "manuscript of the dead" (tradition).