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
Oppression is often the consequence, but seldom or never the means of riches; and though avarice will preserve a man from being necessitously poor, it generally makes him too timorous to be wealthy.
—Thomas Paine
The strength of one man is so unequal to his wants, and his mind so unfitted for perpetual solitude, that he is soon obliged to seek assistance and relief of another.
—Thomas Paine
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
Of more worth is one honest man to society and in the sight of God, than all the crowned ruffians that every lived.
—Thomas Paine
The real man smiles in trouble,
gathers strength from distress,
and grows brave by reflection.
—Thomas Paine
When my country, into which I had just set my foot, was set on fire about my ears, it was time to stir. It was time for every man to stir.
—Thomas Paine
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
And as to you, Sir, treacherous in private friendship and a hypocrite in public life, the world will be puzzled to decide whether you are an apostate or an impostor; whether you have abandoned good principles, or whether you ever had any.
—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
Reason obeys itself; and ignorance submits to whatever is dictated to it.
—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
Government even in its best state is but a necessary evil.
—Thomas Paine
Youth is the seed time of good habits, as well in nations as in individuals.
—Thomas Paine
When men yield up the privilege of thinking, the last shadow of liberty quits the horizon.
—Thomas Paine
Topics: Thought, Thoughts, Liberty, Thinking
Every thing that is right or natural pleads for separation. The blood of the slain, the weeping voice of nature cries, “’tis time to part.”
—Thomas Paine
Topics: Democracy
It is error only, and not truth, that shrinks from inquiry.
—Thomas Paine
Topics: Questions
Character is much easier kept than recovered.
—Thomas Paine
Topics: Integrity, Character
The Sun never shined on a cause of greater worth.
—Thomas Paine
The cause of America is in a great measure the cause of all mankind.
—Thomas Paine
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
Nothing but heaven is impregnable to vice.
—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: Forgiveness, Adversity, Difficulties, Risk, Stress, Attitude, Winning, Smiling
Every age and generation must be as free to act for itself in all cases as the ages and generations which preceded it. The vanity of governing beyond the grave is the most ridiculous and insolent of all tyrannies.
—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
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