Common Sense (Books of American Wisdom)

I usually admire Colonel Roosevelt, but he missed the mark with his blistering assessment of the author of this brief, world-changing, history-making book. COMMON SENSE is master propagandist Thomas Paine's (1736-1809) compelling argument for American independence. Anyone who wants to understand the true intent of the Founders must read Paine. Paine had previously written in defense of tax collectors (while still in Britain) and his writings had impressed Benjamin Franklin. Published in February 1776, COMMON SENSE sold over 500,000 copies in the Colonies (out of a free population of two-and-a-half million), and was republished throughout Europe. Paine's writings created the necessary groundswell for the American Revolution, the French Revolution, and the Irish Rebellion of 1798. In clear, concise and simple language COMMON SENSE begins with a general reflection about government and religion. It then progresses onto the specifics of the colonial situation. Paine draws a strong distinction between Government and Society. In Paine's view, "Society" is everything constructive that people work together to accomplish, while "Government" is a structure designed specifically to protect human beings from ourselves. Government arises because of human evil; therefore Government is itself a necessary evil. According to Paine, Government exists to protect life, liberty and property. A successful Government accomplishes these ends, and no others. Paine states that a people constrained by Government will be far more satisfied if they themselves are responsible for the creation of the laws that their Government enforces, thus endorsing a form of representative Government in America. Paine has no truck with the British system of Government, or of Monarchy in any form, which he says is an unnatural relation between inherent equals. Paine then sets out the details of his view of the American situation. Paine points out that the American Colonies have evolved into an independent political and economic association that no longer needs Britain's protection or Britain's exploitation. Paine points out that Britain has been suppressing the Colonies rather than encouraging their growth, even for the Mother Country's own benefit. Such abuses make Great Britain undeserving of American loyalty. Paine further argues that it is necessary to seek independence immediately, since the problems that exist between Britain and her Colonies are endemic, and unresolvable. Simply put, America has matured beyond Colonialism. Paine was a hero of the American Revolution. He wrote an ongoing publication "American Crisis" during the Revolutionary War, but has become a "Forgotten Founding Father." A better theorist than a pragmatist, Paine was a strong-willed and opinionated man who alienated many former friends. A true revolutionary rather than a politician, unlamented he left America for France. He was marked for death a number of times during The Terror, but managed to escape by claiming American citizenship. After fleeing Paris, he went back to England for a time. Considered a rabble-rouser by the British for his association with the Irish patriot Wolfe Tone he returned to America again. He was this nation's first true internationalist. By the early 1800s however, Paine's writings, particularly his Deist writings, had alienated the growing Christian Fundamentalist movement of The Second Great Awakening, and he was treated with derision. Thus, when "Citizen Tom Paine" died in New York, it was in near obscurity.

A must read for all Americans to gain knowledge of what we stand for, and against. To understand patriots and what we fought for then and now.

A “must read” for our upcoming 250th Anniversary.

A good read and super-relevant in 2026.

This exposure alone has me regretting my lack of political awareness in the broader applications described herein. Uh-Oh, it's already affected my writing.

Every American should read this book. It is as timely now as it was 250 years ago.

Common Sense is one of the greatest articles of argumentation ever written. Paine was the finest pamphleteer of his age and was able to turn the discontents of the colonists and, especially, the intellectual leaders of the revolutionary movement into arguments that were easily understood by ordinary colonials and which inspired them to rally to the cause of independence. I first read Common Sense more than fifty years ago and remember well being impressed with Paine's ability to carry arguments and to anticipate those of his opponents before his tract even hit the street. Over the course of my lifetime, I was inspired by the author and became a pamphleteer of sorts myself. I always told my colleagues that I wanted to become a poor man's Tom Paine. But after reading the piece once again, I realize that almost all who aspire to follow in his footsteps, if not fill his shoes, are doomed to become but very poor copies of the original. Other reviewers have noted the fluidity of his writing; it reads as simply, directly and forcefully today as it must have nearly a quarter of a millennium ago. Obviously, one did not have to be a great reader to be swayed by the force of Paine's words or to be inspired to the side of those wishing to throw off the English yoke. I was struck by echoes of Paine in many great American speeches that were running through my mind as I read. A number of quotes from Robert F. Kennedy seemed to have been directly inspired by Common Sense, and I hastily looked them up and offer these two for your consideration: "It is not enough to understand, or to see clearly. The future will be shaped in the arena of human activity, by those willing to commit their minds and their bodies to the task." "All of us might wish at times that we lived in a more tranquil world, but we don't. And if our times are difficult and perplexing, so are they challenging and filled with opportunity." The Declaration of Independence itself is a direct offspring of this great tract. Jefferson and the others charged with developing the document were well aware of Paine and had the opportunity to evaluate his words and to use his methods in creating our declaration, and this takes nothing away from their genius. This is a document that can be read in short order, and it is free at the Kindle Store. How can you say no to giving it a try?

Todo me gusto

Great read

サムエル・モリソン『アメリカの歴史』を読んでトマス・ペインの存在を知り、アメリカの独立に大きく貢献したとされるThomas Paine, “Common Sense”を読むことにした。 60ページ程度のごくみじかい英文パンフレットだが、内容は濃い。最初に、あらゆる人民は暴政に対して反乱する権利がある、とおそらくルソーの思想から説く。続いて当時のアメリカの宗主国たるイギリスの王政を、キリスト教の立場からそもそも神の意志に反する不当な制度であって、王位の世襲制がきわめて不合理なことを一般論として指摘したうえで、現実に無能で暴虐であることを指摘する。そして、アメリカがイギリスの支配を受けることの愚かしさと独立の利益を、具体的に指摘する。アメリカ大陸は宗教改革の寸前に発見され、世界の迫害を受ける人民の避難地として神から与えられた地であり、すでにイギリスのみならずヨーロッパ全体から人々が到来している。それなのにイギリスだけに服属し、イギリスから貿易・外交の制限を受け、その意のままに収奪されることの愚かしさをよく考えなければならない。遠く離れてアメリカ大陸の状況をよく把握する術も意欲もないイギリスに、これからもあらゆる重要なことを時間をかけて請願し、遠いところの他人事としか考えない連中のいい加減な判断に従い続けるのか。われわれはアメリカ大陸に居住する人間として、子孫に良い生活環境、国家、政治体制を残さなければならない。われわれは自らの判断で自分たちのための法律を作らなければならないが、それここそが「独立」なのである。さらに単に独立の必要を叫ぶのみでなく、アメリカの現状を詳しく分析して、経済的にも、政治的にも、軍事的にも独立することが可能であることを具体的に説明する。そしてアメリカの新しい政治体制についても提案している。 イギリスの田舎町に職人の子として生まれたトマス・ペインが、仕事にも結婚にも失敗してアメリカにわたった時、すでに37歳になっていた。当時アメリカ大陸内では、独立推進派、イギリスとの和解派、さらに日和見派の3つに分かれて議論があり、当初トマス・ペインは和解派であった。それが、1775年4月のレキシントン・コンコードの戦いでイギリス軍の暴虐とアメリカ民兵の勇気を見て、完全に独立派に変わったという。レキシントン・コンコードの戦いの直後からトマス・ペインは『コモンセンス』の著作に着手したが、流動的な情勢を鑑みて、また引き受けてくれる出版社を探して、出版は1776年1月になった。発売されるとこのパンフレットは空前のベストセラーとなり、50万部をアメリカ大陸で売った。当時アメリカ大陸の人口は250万人ほどというので、文章を読むことができる人々のほぼ全員が読んだことになる。そして半年後のアメリカ独立宣言に、この内容がかなり踏襲されていた。 論述はごく冷静で論理的であり、予想したより扇動的な感じが少ない。内容は新しい理論や思想などのように抽象的ではなく、現状を詳しく観察し分析して、わかりやすく具体的に解説している。これはまさに優れたジャーナリストのものである。さらにありがちな「いわゆるジャーナリスト」や「いわゆる識者」とまったく異なるのが、改革の必要性の指摘だけでなく、改革の方法とその実現可能性の検討、さらに改革後の政治運営のビジョンまで綿密に考察して具体的に提案していることである。本来ジャーナリストというのは、こうあらねばならないのだろう、と改めて思った。わが国の「いわゆる識者」や「いわゆるジャーナリスト」たちには、真摯に反省して少しでもトマス・ペインに近づく努力を求めたいが、おそらく能力不足なのだろう。 また、このパンフレットが対象とする場所も時代も異なるものの、日本の現状にてらして考えると、決してひとごととして放置できない指摘がある。わが国は、憲法で軍事力の保持を否定して、安全保障をアメリカの軍事力に依存しているが、アメリカは当然ながら自国の利益以上に他国たる日本を護る義務などないのである。そのような根本を蔑ろにしたまま現状を継続することの危うさを、われわれ日本国民は真剣に考えなければならない。 Thomas Paine, Common Sense (Amazon Classics Edition) Kindle版は、現代英語とは少し違って古語的語彙・表現もあり、私にはいささかむずかしかった。総じて文章が長く、構文をとらえるのに苦労することもあった。岩波文庫版の小松春雄訳『コモン・センス』1976の助けを借りながら、ようやく読み終えた次第であった。 ともかく、現実の政治を大きく変革したパンフレットの力と事実に、あらためて感動する。

Short but helpfull

Ótimo livro que explica com clareza o pensamento de liberdade e de como constituir um governo próprio. Um autor muito sensato.