Thomas Paine (1737–1809) was an English-born political writer and Revolutionary propagandist. His writings convinced many American colonists of the need for independence. He remains an idol to revolutionaries, liberals, socialists, atheists, and freethinkers due to his various writings.
Born in Thetford, England, Paine was a self-educated man. He failed at or was unhappy in every job he tried for the first 24 years of his adult life. After meeting Benjamin Franklin in London and establishing contacts, Paine moved to America and began writing for the Pennsylvania Magazine, of which he became the editor for six months. His contributions included an attack on the institution of slavery.
Paine’s literary eloquence received recognition with the appearance of his 79-page pamphlet titled Common Sense (1776.) With it’s striking diplomatic, commercial, and political arguments in favor of separation from Britain, Paine’s powerful appeal for immediate independence laid the ground for the American Declaration of Independence. Common Sense was an instant success. Newspapers in other colonies reprinted all or part of it. George Washington acknowledged it for mobilizing a “powerful change” in the colonies’ sentiment toward Britain.
After working for the American cause during the remainder of the Revolution, Paine returned to England in 1787. He published The Rights of Man (1791,) in which he vigorously defended republican principles and called Englishmen to arms to overthrow their monarchy. His radical views prompted the British government to indict him for treason. He fled to France and supported the French Revolution.
During a year of imprisonment in France, Paine wrote The Age of Reason (1794,) an attack on orthodox Christianity. It was viewed as a direct attack on the irrationality of revealed religion and defense of deism. The book evoked many angry responses—it was denounced as atheistic and suppressed in England. The Age of Reason is now recognized as one of the most lucid expositions of the rationalist theism of the Enlightenment.
Paine returned to America in 1802 and lived a quiet life until he died in obscurity. Despite the significant contributions made during his lifetime, he was marginalized due to his religious skepticism. He had also already irritated the British (with Common Sense and The Rights of Man,) was not in good terms with the French (because of his opposition the execution of King Louis XVI,) and the Americans (due to his criticism of George Washington.)
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Thomas Paine
The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly; it is dearness only that gives everything its value. I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress and grow brave by reflection. ‘Tis the business of little minds to shrink; but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death.
—Thomas Paine
Topics: Winning, Adversity, Miscellaneous, Trouble, Smiling, Difficulties, Forgiveness, Risk, Stress, Attitude
It is impossible to calculate the moral mischief, if I may so express it, that mental lying has produced in society. When a man has so far corrupted and prostituted the chastity of his mind as to subscribe his professional belief to things he does not believe he has prepared himself for the commission of every other crime.
—Thomas Paine
Topics: Hypocrisy, Honesty
Whenever we read the obscene stories, the voluptuous debaucheries, the cruel and torturous executions, the unrelenting vindictiveness, with which more than half the Bible is filled, it would be more consistent that we called it the word of a demon than the Word of God. It is a history of wickedness that has served to corrupt and brutalize mankind.
—Thomas Paine
Topics: Religion, Bible
The world is my country, all mankind are my brethren, and to do good is my religion.
—Thomas Paine
Topics: Goodness, Purpose
A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong gives it a superficial appearance of being right.
—Thomas Paine
Topics: Integrity, Appearance, Thinking
The reformation was preceded by the discovery of America, as if the Almighty graciously meant to open a sanctuary to the persecuted in future years, when home should afford neither friendship nor safety.
—Thomas Paine
Regard your good name as the richest jewel you can possibly be possessed of—for credit is like fire; when once you have kindled it you may easily preserve it, but if you once extinguish it, you will find it an arduous task to rekindle it again.
—Thomas Paine
Topics: Reputation
A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong, gives it a superficial appearance of being right, and raises at first a formidable outcry in defense of custom. But the tumult soon subsides. Time makes more converts than reason.
—Thomas Paine
Topics: Reason, Thoughts, Time, Thought, Defense, Change, Thinking, Habit
A bad cause will never be supported by bad means and bad men.
—Thomas Paine
Topics: Reason
The cause of America is in a great measure the cause of all mankind.
—Thomas Paine
Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it.
—Thomas Paine
Topics: Freedom, Blessings, Independence
A thing moderately good is not so good as it ought to be. Moderation in temper is always a virtue; but moderation in principle is always a vice.
—Thomas Paine
Topics: Moderation, Balance, Principles, Vice
We fight not to enslave, but to set a country free, and to make room upon the earth for honest men to live in.
—Thomas Paine
Topics: Freedom
The true greatness of a nation is founded on principles of humanity.
—Thomas Paine
Topics: Humanity
An army of principles can penetrate where an army of soldiers cannot.
—Thomas Paine
Topics: Soldiers, Army
The right of voting for representatives is the primary right by which other rights are protected. To take away this right is to reduce a man to slavery, for slavery consists in being subject to the will of another, and he that has not a vote in the election of representatives is in this case.
—Thomas Paine
For all men being originally equals, no one by birth could have a right to set up his own family in perpetual preference to all others for ever.
—Thomas Paine
As to religion, I hold it to be the indispensable duty of all government, to protect all conscientious professors thereof, and I know of no other business which government hath to do therewith.
—Thomas Paine
The duty of man is plain and simple, and consists but of two points; his duty to God, which every man must feel; and his duty to his neighbor, to do as he would be done by.
—Thomas Paine
Topics: Duty
Action and care will in time wear down the strongest frame, but guilt and melancholy are poisons of quick dispatch.
—Thomas Paine
Topics: Guilt
Though the flame of liberty may sometimes cease to shine, the coal can never expire
—Thomas Paine
Topics: Liberty
The Sun never shined on a cause of greater worth.
—Thomas Paine
Prejudice, like the spider, makes everywhere its home. It has neither taste nor choice of place, and all that it requires is room. If the one prepares her food by poisoning it to her palate and her use, the other does the same. Prejudice may be denominated the spider of the mind.
—Thomas Paine
Topics: Prejudice
The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheaply, we esteem too lightly; ‘Tis dearness only that gives everything its value.
—Thomas Paine
Topics: Obstacles
Compassion, the fairest associate of the heart.
—Thomas Paine
Topics: Compassion
Youth is the seed time of good habits, as well in nations as in individuals.
—Thomas Paine
Reason obeys itself; and ignorance submits to whatever is dictated to it.
—Thomas Paine
Topics: Reason
Independence is my happiness, and I view things as they are, without regard to place or person; my country is the world, and my religion is to do good.
—Thomas Paine
Topics: Integrity, Goodness, Deeds, Independence, Good Deeds
Political Liberty consists in the power of doing whatever does not injure another. The exercise of the natural rights of every [human], has no other limits than those which are necessary to secure to every other [human] the free exercise of the same rights.
—Thomas Paine
Topics: Wildlife
A man does not serve God when he prays, for it is himself he is trying to serve
—Thomas Paine
Topics: Prayer
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