The Norton Anthology of American Literature Common Sense Review
And with that early on quote, this reader steadily became enthralled with a founding father. I sincerely wish this novella-sized essay had been required reading while I was still in high school—or at whatever point in my teaching, for that matter. (Okay, if I'm being honest, my teenage self wanted history explained something like this...) Just seriously... the read I thought was going to be a necessary slog turned out to be not just insightful, but And with that early quote, this reader steadily became enthralled with a founding father. I sincerely wish this novella-sized essay had been required reading while I was still in high school—or at whatsoever point in my pedagogy, for that matter. (Okay, if I'k existence honest, my teenage self wanted history explained something similar this...) Simply seriously... the read I thought was going to be a necessary slog turned out to be non only insightful, only genuinely entertaining. Laden with passionate wisdom, scathing wit, and intellectual wherewithal, information technology'due south lilliputian wonder this renowned 'pamphlet' became the rallying cry for American independence from U.k.. Paine was equally bold every bit he was brilliant. In the context of his time period, it'south fascinating to realize he was committing treason past laying out this multi-layered argument calling for revolution. And he did and so without amends. (In fact, there were numerous points where one tin't help just suppose Paine was offering the British monarchy the literary equivalent of his heart finger.) * "Male person and female are distinctions of nature, good and bad the distinctions of heaven; only how a race of men came into the world so exalted above the rest, and distinguished like some new species, is worth enquiring into, and whether they are the means of happiness or misery." * "Authorities by kings was beginning introduced into the globe by the Heathens, from whom the children of Israel copied the custom. It was the about prosperous invention of the Devil ever set on foot for the promotion of idolatry. The Heathens paid divine honors to their deceased kings, and the christian globe hath improved on the plan by doing the same to their living ones. How impious is the title of sacred majesty applied to a worm, who in the midst of splendor is crumbling to dust!" * "One of the strongest NATURAL proofs of the folly of hereditary correct in kings, is, that nature disapproves information technology, otherwise, she would not and then oft turn it into ridicule by giving flesh an Ass FOR A King of beasts." (emphasis is mine.) Oooooh, snap! * "Men who look upon themselves born to reign, and others to obey, soon abound insolent; selected from the rest of flesh their minds are early poisoned by importance; and the globe they act in differs so materially from the earth at big, that they take but lilliputian opportunity of knowing its truthful interests, and when they succeed to the regime are frequently the about ignorant and unfit of whatsoever throughout the dominions." * "In short, monarchy and succession have laid (non this or that kingdom only) but the world in claret and ashes. Tis a course of government which the word of God bears testimony confronting, and blood will attend it." * "Of more worth is one honest human to society and the sight of God, than all the crowned ruffians that always lived." This is pretty much what he was getting at, in a nutshell: I was also somewhat surprised to discover that a noteworthy chunk of Paine's reasoning came out of a solid contextual grasp of scripture, along with a propensity for calling out those who'd twisted or withheld information technology for their own purposes. * "As exalting one man and then profoundly in a higher place the balance cannot be justified on the equal rights of nature, and then neither can it be dedicated on the authority of scripture; for the will of the Almighty, every bit declared by Gideon and the prophet Samuel, expressly disapproves of government by kings." * "That the Almighty hath hither entered his protest against monarchical regime is true, or the scripture is false. And a man hath skilful reason to believe that at that place is equally much king-craft, every bit priest-craft, in withholding the scripture from the public in Popish countries. For monarchy in every example is the Popery of government." --------------- Outspoken political revolutionary. Champion of equality. Solicitor of common sense. Thomas Paine is a true national treasure—an intrepid man whose natural language be both silver and sharp. Okay...and then, it's possible I've developed a pocket-size beat out on a guy who died 200 years ago. >.> I only regret that I didn't get to this work sooner. Information technology'southward put me in a mood to castor upwardly on American History. :)
"Fourth dimension makes more converts than reason." – Thomas Paine 
"Time makes more converts than reason." – Thomas Paine 
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Source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/161744.Common_Sense