You would be hard pushed to find Thomas Paine celebrated in England as one of the greatest writers and philosophers that have ever lived. And yet his works inspired two of the most important revolutions in history. His pamphlet, “Common Sense” united the American colonies behind the cause of independence. From it comes the beautiful phrase “These are the times that try men’s souls”. It had the largest sale and circulation of any book published in American history.
In “The Age of Reason”, written in defence of the French Revolution, he claims that men and women have natural rights that cannot be superseded by any legislation or other public policy. To him, our three most inalienable rights are liberty, property, and security. The state should only have power in accordance with the consensus of the people it governs by delegating political power to individuals making up the citizenry. Once this power is bestowed, it must only be used to protect individuals’ natural rights in the interest of the “common good.”
The poem accompanying this blog is based on a true story. Many thanks to the North Poetry magazine for publishing it in Issue 63 January 2020.
Terry Quinn 