Burke likes order and social order, while Paine cries out for equality and social justice. Burke believes there should be an elite, and they should never lower themselves to a common status, while Paine believes there should not be an elite class, and that all men are created equal. This is an inherent difference in philosophy and in government. It is the reason that some English citizens felt the need to break away and travel to a new land. It is the reason that the oppressed and intimidated in other countries of the world still seek freedom and independence. Burke argues that the state is a permanent contract, not to be bent for trivial concerns like "pepper and coffee" (Burke 112). However, Paine's arguments resonated with the "common man," someone who Burke seems to ignore in his arguments. Paine seems more understanding of the "times that try men's souls" (Editors 121), because he seems more in tune with what was actually happening in the colonies and France. He has experience, while Burke simply has education and an opinion....

Paine lived through the American Revolution, and saw the birth of a new nation, while Burke seems to see it simply as a rejection of British constitution and state. While Burke preaches constancy, Paine preaches growth and change. He writes, "Every generation is, and must be, competent to all the purposes which its occasions require" (Paine 122). Thus, Paine is a forward thinker, while Burke relies on successes in the past to dictate successes in the future. Great Britain has continued to be a great, commanding leader in the modern world, but their government is still based on a monarchy that may be outdated. American government has seen change and alteration, and it will continue to change as times dictate. Ultimately, after reading these two works, it seems as if America is still more flexible than Great Britain, and more open to change. The British are all about tradition, which is important, but America is all about change, and that is important, as well.
References

Editors. Anthology of British…