Rights of Man, Common Sense and Other Political Writings
Language: English
1737-1809 American history: c 1500 to c 1800 Classics Current Events Early works to 1800 English General History History & Theory History & Theory - General History: American Literary studies: 16th to 18th centuries Paine Philosophy Political Political Freedom & Security Political Freedom & Security - General Political Science Political Science & Theory Politics Revolutionary Period (1775-1800) Thomas U.S. History - Revolution And Confederation (1775-1789) USA United States United States - Revolutionary War War Writing c 1700 to c 1800 c 1800 to c 1900
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Published: Jan 1, 1776
Description:
`An army of principles will penetrate where an army of soldiers cannot . . . it will march on the horizon of the world and it will conquer.' Thomas Paine was the first international revolutionary. His Common Sense (1776) was the most widely read pamphlet of the American Revolution; his Rights of Man (1791-2) was the most famous defence of the French Revolution and sent out a clarion call for revolution throughout the world. He paid the price for his principles: he was outlawed in Britain, narrowly escaped execution in France, and was villified as an atheist and a Jacobin on his return to America. Paine loathed the unnatural inequalities fostered by the hereditary and monarchical systems. He believed that government must be by and for the people and must limit itself to the protection of their natural rights. But he was not a libertarian: from a commitment to natural rights he generated one of the first blueprints for a welfare state, combining a liberal order of civil rights with egalitarian constraints. This collection brings together Paine's most powerful political writings from the American and French revolutions in the first fully annotated edition of these works. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.