The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, Vol. 10 (of 12)

"The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, Vol. 10 (of 12)" by Edmund Burke is a compilation of speeches from the late 1700s that centers on the impeachment of Warren Hastings, who used to be in charge of Bengal. Through persuasive speaking, Burke shares his thoughts on power, dishonesty, and the moral obligations of leaders. He homes in on supposed misdeeds Hastings committed while in power in India. At the beginning, Burke uses a speech to the House of Lords to introduce the impeachment trial; he highlights just how serious the accusations against Hastings are, saying that they come from a corrupt system driven by greed and a lack of fairness. Burke shows how Hastings' choices led to corruption, where money was more important than doing what was right, and that these accusations aren't just about Hastings, but also about critiquing a style of leadership that goes against the very foundation of the British Empire. Burke's words pave the way for reviewing the ethics of imperial actions.