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Common Sense - The Influence of Thomas Paine

            ​Thomas Paine's, Common Sense, influenced the colonist's ideas and decisions on the revolution and the feelings towards independence. Enlightenment thinkers influenced many of Paine's theories, such as John Locke and Jean- Jacques Rousseau. He begins with general reflections about government and religion and then progresses onto the details of the colonial situation. Paine states a distinction between government and society. Government is an institution who is to protect us from our own vices. According to Paine, society is everything constructive that join people to accomplish things. Government has origins in the evil of man. Paine states that the government's sole purpose is to protect life, liberty, and property. He believes government should be judged on the basis of how it accomplishes its goal.
             ​ Paine imagines a small group of people that have been placed on an island and cut off from the rest of the world. These people develop alliances and the making of laws becomes inevitable. Paine believes that if the people make their own laws they will be much happier. He also believes that this system is better for American colonists. Paine launches a general attack on the British system of government. Paine states that the British system is too complex and has many contradictions, and the monarchy has too much power. The British system pretends to offer a reasonable system but in reality it does not.
             Paine discusses the notions of monarchy and hereditary succession. Paine argues that man was born into a state of equality. It is believed that at first the world was without kings, but the ancient Jews decided they wanted a King; and it is said that this angered God, but he let them have a King. There are specific pages of biblical evidence that addresses God's wrath at the idea of the Jews having a King. Paine believes that monarchy originates from sin. Paine says that hereditary succession is an abominable practice.


Essays Related to Common Sense - The Influence of Thomas Paine

1. Critique of Common Sense by Thomas Paine

Common Sense The political pamphlet, Common Sense, written by Thomas Paine had a great influence over the fight for the independence of the American Colonies. ... Thomas Paine presented many arguments and pieces of information that support his cause for American independence. ... Common Sense reveals many of the grievances and issues the people of the colonies held against Britain. ... However, Paine was not unbiased is his creation of Common Sense. ... Thomas Paine wrote a very persuasive book. ...

  • Word Count: 359
  • Approx Pages: 1
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

2. The Writings of Thomas Paine

The Writings of Thomas Paine Thomas Paine was born a son of a Quaker on the January 29, 1737 in Thetford, Norfolk in England. ... Thomas Paine influenced the lives of many people and set fire to the independence of America by his writings, Common Sense, The Crisis, The Rights of Man and the Age of Reason. ... Therefore, on January 10, 1776, Paine published his ideas in his pamphlet, Common Sense. In his Common Sense, Paine passionately argued for the independence from England and emphasized on the ability of the young country to grow and prosper, " the cause of America is in a great measu...

  • Word Count: 860
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3. Thomas Paine

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  • Word Count: 611
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4. Thomas Paine - Government and People

Thomas Paine's views can be described as ones of independence and freedom, when an American thinks about the transformation our country made to an independent nation they will look to thank the pamphlet, Common Sense. ... Thomas Paine believes a government should not be composed of just one person, but several. ... Paine talks about his concern with human trust in Common Sense; he questions how man can't seem to trust yet there is the power of the king over all the people. ... Thomas Paine wanted the colonies to be free and independent from Britain. He influenced the colonists to sta...

  • Word Count: 901
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5. Common Sense

Common Sense As the year 1776 began in the American colonies, tension with King George III's England was at perhaps an all-time high. ... The loudest and most convincing of these belonged to Thomas Paine, born in England and living in Philadelphia. His pamphlet, Common Sense, expressed the argument for American independence in a way no one had before and had a great influence on the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Paine had only lived in America for two years when he began writing Common Sense, but that was enough for him to witness the oppression of the British. 1.O...

  • Word Count: 961
  • Approx Pages: 4

6. Common Sense

Common Sense Common Sense, a pamphlet by Thomas Paine, could not have come at a better time. ... Paine's views expressed in Common Sense were not secular in tone. ... Paine's example of the evils of monarchy was a mistake made by Jewish influence. ... Bibliography Paine, Thomas. Common Sense. ...

  • Word Count: 953
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7. Thomas Paine

First and foremost, Thomas Paine was not an atheist. ... Thomas Paine was a self-pronounced deist, not an atheist. ... Thomas Paine, therefore, is a deist, not an atheist. ... His pamphlet, Common Sense, was widely circulated and did much to boost the confidence of the American public. ... Roosevelt likely did not mean "filthy little atheist" in a literal sense. ...

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8. Common Sense

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  • Word Count: 1249
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Grade Level: High School

9. Propaganda During the American Revolution

Clever and witty writers such as John Adams and Thomas Paine relayed information, and support through their writings; conveying to not to give up. ... Among this was an article, "Common Sense," which was read by colonists and loyalists both. This influenced many of the people to fight for the American cause, by illustrating the hardships of the colonists. ... Thomas Paine gained many followers through his work. ... It was highly effective because many were touched by the writings of Thomas Paine, Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, and the other clever writers. ...

  • Word Count: 563
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