Who said “People will not look forward to posterity, who never look backward to their ancestors.”?

Verified

Edmund Burke. A published source records them saying or writing it.

SourceReflections on the Revolution in France (1790)

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For academic work, cite the original where you can: Reflections on the Revolution in France (1790).

APA

Burke, E. (n.d.). People will not look forward to posterity, who never look backward to their ancestors. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/21620-people-will-not-look-forward-to-posterity-who/

MLA

Burke, Edmund. “People will not look forward to posterity, who never look backward to their ancestors.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/21620-people-will-not-look-forward-to-posterity-who/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Burke, Edmund. “People will not look forward to posterity, who never look backward to their ancestors.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/21620-people-will-not-look-forward-to-posterity-who/.

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VerifiedSpeech to his troops in Egypt (21 July 1798) Variant translation: "Soldiers, from the summit of yonder pyramids forty centuries look down upon you...". Published in the autobiography of French general Eugène de Beauharnais. · evidenceDetails & citeHistory and Historians
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