Thomas Paine's Early Life and Influences
Born in 1737 in Norfolk, England, Thomas Paine grew up with Quaker and Anglican influences. His formal education was brief, and he apprenticed in his father's staymaking trade. Paine's early life was marked by restlessness and adventure, including a failed attempt at sea and various jobs across England.
After working in the excise service and participating in local debates, Paine moved to America in 1774 with letters from Benjamin Franklin. In Philadelphia, he found success editing the Pennsylvania Magazine and writing influential works.
Encouraged by Benjamin Rush, Paine wrote Common Sense in 1776, a pivotal pamphlet advocating American independence. His American Crisis letters (1777-1783) bolstered revolutionary morale during the war.
Paine's later years were equally eventful:
- Traveled to Paris and England
- Engaged with the French Revolution
- Wrote Rights of Man
- Faced imprisonment in France
- Authored Agrarian Justice, proposing progressive taxation for social welfare
Returning to America in 1803, Paine faced criticism but persisted in his political musings until his death in 1809. His life experiences shaped his groundbreaking work in political philosophy across continents.

Common Sense and American Independence
In January 1776, Thomas Paine published Common Sense, a pamphlet that galvanized support for American independence. Unlike complex philosophical treatises, Paine's writing was direct and accessible, resonating with a wide audience.
Paine's key arguments in Common Sense included:
- Attacking the concept of monarchy, calling it an "inheritable tyranny"
- Questioning the logic of entrusting a nation to one individual by birth
- Criticizing King George III
- Arguing that government should serve the people, deriving power from their consent
The pamphlet dismantled pro-reconciliation arguments, pointing out Britain's exploitative interests and the increasing grievances of the colonies. Paine questioned the logic of a vast continent being governed by a distant island and proposed a democratic republic as an alternative.
"The sun never shined on a cause of greater worth."1
Common Sense sold 500,000 copies, mobilizing colonial opinion and providing intellectual support for independence. It influenced the Continental Congress and contributed to the momentum leading to the Declaration of Independence in July 1776.
Rights of Man and Political Reform
Rights of Man, published in two parts in 1791 and 1792, was Paine's response to Edmund Burke's Reflections on the Revolution in France. Where Burke criticized the French Revolution, Paine saw it as the birth of a new era.
Paine attacked the logic of monarchy and hereditary aristocracy, arguing that they violated natural justice. He likened the relationship between monarchs and subjects to that of predator and prey.
The work called for sweeping reforms, including:
- Universal male suffrage
- Progressive taxation
- Social welfare programs
- Abolition of unwarranted privileges
Paine proposed specific policies such as tax-funded pensions and free public education.
Rights of Man was seen as subversive by the British government but was popular among the common people. Many of Paine's ideas, once considered radical, later influenced democratic reforms across the Western world.
Paine's work challenged entrenched power structures and laid groundwork for modern democratic ideals, making a case for people's right to self-governance and social justice.
Paine's Views on Government and Society
In Common Sense, Paine distinguishes between society and government. Society is a blessing, arising naturally from our social tendencies. Governments, however, are a necessary evil, existing due to human imperfection.
Paine advocates for republicanism, criticizing monarchies as corrupt and despotic. He ridicules inherited power, likening it to allowing an unqualified person to steer a ship simply because his ancestors did so.
For Paine, a republic is the logical form of governmentโwhere power stems from the people. He argues that government's main job is to secure natural rights:
- Life
- Liberty
- Pursuit of happiness
Government's legitimacy is rooted in the consent of the governed, which must be dynamic and responsive to change.
Paine proposes practical ideas like equitable tax systems to alleviate economic disparities and fund welfare initiatives. He envisions government as a custodian of peace and order, responsive to evolving needs and rights of individuals.
"Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one."1
Ultimately, Paine believes a simple, representative government grounded in republicanism and upholding natural rights is the bedrock of a just society. His ideas continue to inform contemporary political debates.

Paine's Later Works and Legacy
Paine's later works, Agrarian Justice and The Age of Reason, further cemented his role as a radical thinker.
Agrarian Justice (1797)
In this work, Paine tackles economic disparity. He argues that private property ownership isn't a natural right but a societal construct requiring reparation. Paine proposes a national fund from inheritance taxes to provide adults with a financial "stake" or pension, laying groundwork for the concept of a welfare state.
The Age of Reason (1794)
This work critiques organized religion, particularly Christianity. Paine advocates for deismโbelief in a rational God based on natural law. He dismisses revelations, prophecies, and religious dogmas as fabrications meant to control the masses. For Paine, true religion means reverence for the "Creator" visible in nature, understood through reason and science.
This work was controversial, earning Paine disdain from religious institutions and many ordinary people. Yet, Paine persisted in his pursuit of truth and rationality, calling for individual enlightenment and intellectual emancipation.
Paine's later works synthesize economic redistribution and spiritual liberation, underscoring his belief in an egalitarian society based on reason and justice. His legacy encourages questioning and striving for a fairer world.
Work | Year | Key Concept |
---|---|---|
Common Sense | 1776 | Republicanism |
Agrarian Justice | 1797 | Economic redistribution |
The Age of Reason | 1794 | Deism |
