About this title: Thomas Paine's classic treatise on government in general, and on life under English rule, was first published in January, 1776, and is one of the primary texts of the revolutionary period. In it, Paine argues for the need for independence from England.
Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Buccaneer Books
Date Published: 1986
ISBN-13:9780899665429ISBN:089966542X
Description: Very good in very good dust jacket. Very Good, In very good dust jacket. Library binding. Paper over boards. Contains: Illustrations. read more
Description: Good. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: Good. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: Acceptable. Former Library book. Shows definite wear, and perhaps considerable marking on inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: Good. } Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Date Published: 2005-09-06
ISBN-13:9780143036258ISBN:0143036254
Description: Some cover and edge wear with sl in clean and tight pages jacket. Stain on front cover, small stain on back cover and page edges. read more
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Publisher: Bantam Classics
Date Published: 2004
ISBN-13:9780553214659ISBN:0553214659
Description: New. Brand New! Buy with confidence-your satisfaction is guaranteed at B-Logistics! Due to the large scale of our operation, we do not have access to the specific contents/condition of our items. Please note that Expedited shipping is not available at this time. read more
Description: Good. Former Library book. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
"In 1776 Thomas Paine published his pamphlet 'Common Sense'. It was an informative and well written argument for Independence from Great Britain.
This was a short read. His opening paragraph was so true it was poetic. I am going to include some quotes.
"Some writers have so confounded society with government, as to leave little or no distinction between them; whereas they are not only different, but have different origins. Society is produced by our wants, and government by our wickedness; the former promotes our happiness positively by uniting our affections, the latter negatively by restraining our vices. The one encourages intercourse, the other creates distinctions. The first is a patron, the last a punisher."
"Time makes more converts than reason."
"The present state of America is truly alarming to every man who is capable of reflexion. Without law, without government, without any other mode of power then what is founded on, and granted by courtesy. Held together by an unexampled concurrence of sentiment, which, is nevertheless subject to change, and which every secret enemy is endeavoring to dissolve. Our present condition, is, Legislation without law; wisdom without a plan; constitution without a name; and what is strangely astonishing; perfect Independence contending for dependence."
"When we are planning for posterity, we ought to remember that virtue is not hereditary."
He may accomplish by craft and subtlety, in the long run,, what he cannot do by force and violence in the short one.""
"I read this so that I'd have it fresh in my mind before reading Glenn Beck's book with a similar title.
Paine carefully lays out the problems with a monarchy, argues in favor of separation from England, suggests an alternative government structure, and even offers up a strategy for building an maintaining a navy superior to that of England.
Paine makes so many good points that it's hard to believe he would use the few that were along the lines of: "if God wanted us to be ruled by England, he wouldn't have put us so far away from England." He also uses the "if you don't see it my way after my argument, you're just flat wrong" approach that I've never liked.
Published at a time when America had only one major debate ongoing, Paine (anonymously) weighed in decisively on one side, offered an immediate plan for moving forward, and donated his book royalties to the cause for which he argued. It's easy to see why this was one of the most well-received and influential publications in American History."
"This pamphlet was included in the back of Glenn Beck's book "Common Sense, the Case against an Out of Control Government, inspired by Thomas Paine." It was interesting to read Paine's comments in context of the setting of over 200 years ago, and to contemplate the way things are today. I loved the 2nd section of this pamphlet "On Monarchy and Hereditary Succession. Paine uses the bible to prove that God is against having kings as a form of government, and especially kings that inherit the throne and title. I thoroughly enjoyed and agreed with his argument. He quotes Gideon from the Bible. When the people asked Gideon to be their king, he responded "I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you, THE LORD GOD WILL RULE OVER YOU." Why do we, as a society, have a tendency to raise up one man or a group of men to have so much power over us? Gideon was right. Only the Lord God should be our King. On the hereditary title he says: "For all men being originally equals, no man by birth could have a right to set up his own family in perpetual preference to all others for ever..." Of course, we don't have a king in the US, but we are getting very close to losing a lot of our freedoms by giving certain individuals almost kingly powers."
""The sun never shined on a cause of greater worth. 'Tis not the affair of a city, a country, a province, or a kingdom, but of a continent - of at least one eighth part of the habitable globe. 'Tis not the concern of a day, a year, or an age; posterity are virtually involved in the contest, and will be more or less affected, even to the end of time, but the proceedings now."
"As parents, we can have no joy, knowing that this government is not sufficiently lasting to ensure any thing which we may bequeath to posterity: And by a plain method of argument, as we are running the next generation into debt, we ought to do the work of it, otherwise we use them meanly and pitifully."
"Small islands not capable of protecting themselves, are the proper objects for kingdoms to take under their care; but there is something very absurd, in supposing a continent to be perpetually governed by an island.""
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