Common Sense and Rights of Man by Thomas Paine

Author:Thomas Paine
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: ebook, book
Publisher: Sterling
Published: 2011-04-05T00:00:00+00:00

For Further Thought

In the opening section of Rights of Man, by far its longest, Paine covers a tremendous amount of ground. In addition to recounting the events leading up to the French Revolution and its causes (his description of the fall of the Bastille is almost cinematic in its vividness), he outlines the rights and duties of man and State as he sees them, as well as the differences between the French and English systems of government. Further, he makes an eloquent (and quite modern) case for religious tolerance and the separation of Church and State, and renews his profound disapproval of any form of aristocracy or system of “primogenitureship.” Throughout, he explicitly refutes Edmund Burke’s Reflections point for point, taking it upon himself to strike down as immoral, unjust, or simply wrongheaded each and every claim of the counter-revolution.

Where Burke defends tradition, the old order, and the monarchy, Paine endorses free thought, human potential, and innovation.

Just as in today’s era of competing left- and right-wing bestsellers, the effect seems polarizing, and somewhat reductive on both sides. Paine’s work can feel as much like a bravura performance as a carefully reasoned argument. But keep in mind that in Paine’s time, the right to dissent was still fragile—and by no means a foregone conclusion. Each of his publications was an act of heroism, and he has become a heroic figure to many, whether they share his specific beliefs or not. You’ve read a large chunk of Paine’s work now. Do you see him as a hero? Use this space to reflect on the kind of heroism that Paine represents. Can stating one’s beliefs proudly and persuasively, and backing them up with action, still be considered heroic? Think of some people in your world—public figures or people you know personally— who have exhibited this form of heroism. Have they inspired you to act heroically in your own right?

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