How did Burke’s idea of society differ from Enlightenment social-contract theories?

Edmund Burke’s conception of society fundamentally diverged from the social-contract theories of Enlightenment thinkers like Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau.12

While Enlightenment philosophers viewed the social contract as a hypothetical agreement among the living to establish government based on rational consent and individual self-interest, Burke rejected this individualistic and ahistorical approach. Instead, he argued that society is a partnership that transcends the present generation. For Burke, this contract is a sacred, intergenerational bond linking the dead, the living, and those yet to be born.12

Burke’s perspective emphasized:
* Inheritance: Society is not a construct to be rebuilt through abstract, rationalist schemes; it is an inheritance of language, morals, and institutions that must be preserved.1
* Evolutionary Change: Because society is a complex, historical entity, political change should be gradual and evolutionary rather than radical or revolutionary.31
* Latent Wisdom: Burke believed that human reason is limited and that society relies on the "latent wisdom" of tradition and prejudice, which accumulate over time.1