Thomas Paine

THE PHILOSOPHY PAGES

THE LIFE AND WRITINGS OF THOMAS PAINE
Volume I. Biographies & Appreciations 1. Introduction 2. Life of Paine 3. Erskine Defense of Paine 4. Father of Republics 5. American Revolution 6. Ingersoll on Paine 7. Journey to the Home 8. A Square Deal Volume II. Common Sense & Miscellaneous Essays Introduction Explanatory Preface Common Sense 1. Common Sense 2. Monarchy and Hereditary Succession 3. Thoughts of the Present State of American Affairs 4. Of the Present Ability of America 5. Appendix 6. Epistle to Quakers Miscellaneous Essays 1. African Slavery in America 2. A Dialogue Between General Wolfe 3. Magazine in America 4. Useful and Entertaining Hints 5. Anecdotes Alexander the Great 6. Reflections Lord Clive 7. Cupid and Hymen 8. Duelling 9. Reflections on Titles 10. The Dream Interpreted 11. Reflections on Unhappy Marriages 12. Thoughts on Defensive War 13. An Occasional Letter on the Female Sex 14. A Serious Thought 15. The Foresters Letters 16. A Dialogue 17. Retreat Across the Delaware 18. Letter to Franklin in Paris 19. The Affair of Silas Deane Volume III. the American Crisis 1. The Crisis I 2. The Crisis II, To Lord Howe 3. The Crisis III 4. The Crisis IV 5. The Crisis V, To General Howe 6. The Crisis VI, To the Earl of Carlisle Etc 7. The Crisis VII, To the People of England 8. The Crisis VIII, Address to the People of England 9. The Crisis IX, 10. The Crisis X, On the Subject of Taxation 11. The Crisis XI, On the King of England's Speech 12. The Crisis XII, On the Present State of News 13. The Crisis XIII, To Sir Guy Carleton 14. The Crisis XIV, To the Earl of Shelbourne 15. The Crisis XV, 16. The Crisis XVI, To the People of America Volume IV. Rights of Man, Part I. 1. To George Washington 2. Historical Preface 3. Preface to English Edition 4. Preface to French Edition 5. Rights of Man, Part I 6. Declaration of the Rights of Man 7. Observations on the Declaration of Rights 8. Miscellaneous Chapter 9. Conclusion Rights of Man, Part II. Rights of Man, Part II, Preface. I. Of Society and Civilisation II. On the Origin of the Present Old Governments III. Of the Old and New Systems of Government IV. On Constitutions Volume V. Rights of Man, Part II & Miscellaneous Essays Rights of Man, Part II. V. Plus Appendix Ways and Means of Improving Miscellaneous Essays 1. To the Authors of Le Republicain 2. A Republican Manifesto 3. To the Abbe Sieyes 4. To the Attorney General 5. To Mr Secretary Dundas 6. Letters to Onslow Cranley 7. To the Sheriff of the County of Sussex 8. To Mr Secretary Dundas 9. Letter Addressed to the Addressers 10. Address to the People of France 11. Essay Written to Aid New Republicans 12. To the Attorney General on the Prosecution 13. On the Propriety of Bringing Louis Xvi to Trial 14. Reasons For Preserving the Life of Louis Capet 15. Shall Louis Xvi Be Respited 16. Plan of A Declaration 17. Answers to Four Questions Volume VI. the Age of Reason, Part I. 1. To My Fellow Citizens of the U.S.A. 2. Age of Reason Part1 3. Age of Reason Part2 Preface 4. Age of Reason Part2 5. The New Testament 6. Conclusion 7. Age of Reason Letters 8. Age of Reason Prosecution Volume VII. the Age of Reason, Part II. 1. The Existence of God 2. Worship and Church Bells 3. Extract from a Reply to the Bishop of Llandaff 4. Origin of Freemasonry 5. Prospect Papers 6. Examination of Prophecies 7. A Letter to Andrew Dean 8. Predestination Volume VIII. Essays, Letters and Addresses. 1. To the Public on Mr Deanes Affair 2. Autobiographical Sketch 3. Messrs Deane Jay and Gerard 4. 1 Peace and the Newfoundland Fisheries 5. 2 Peace and the Newfoundland Fisheries 6. 3 Peace and the Newfoundland Fisheries 7. The American Philosophical Society 8. Emancipation of Slaves 9. Public Good 10. Intro Letter to the Abbe Raynal 1782 11. Letter to the Abbe Raynal 1782 12. Dissertations on Government the Affairs Volume IX. Essays, Letters and Addresses. 1. The Society For Political Enquiries 2. Prospects on the Rubicon 3. Specification of Thomas Paine 4. Letter to Jefferson in Paris 1789-02-16 5. Address and Declaration 6. Private Letters to Jefferson 7. Letter to Danton 8. A Citizen of America to the Citizens of Europe 9. Appeal to the Convention 10. Memorial Addressed to James Monroe 11. Addenda 12. Letter to George Washington 13. Observations 14. Dissertation on First Principles of Government 15. The Constitution of 1795 16. The Decline and Fall of the English System of Finance 17. Forgetfulness Volume X. Essays, Letters and Poems. 1. Agrarian Justice 2. The Eighteenth Fructidor 3. The Recall of Monroe 4. Private Letter to Thomas Jefferson 5. Proposal That Louisiana Be Purchased 6. Thomas Paine to the Citizens of the United States 7. To the French Inhabitants of Louisiana 8. Case of the Officers of Excise 9. Letter to Dr Goldsmith 10. Scientific Memoranda 11. The Iron Bridge 12. The Construction of Iron Bridges 13. To the People of England on the Invasion of England 14. Constitutional Reform 15. Constitutions Governments, and Charters 16. The Cause of Yellow Fever 17. Liberty of the Press 18. Songs and Rhymes 19. The Will of Thomas Paine

DECLARATION OF THE RIGHTS OF MAN AND OF CITIZENS
By The National Assembly of France

The representatives of the people of France, formed into a National Assembly, considering that ignorance, neglect, or contempt of human rights, are the sole causes of public misfortunes and corruptions of Government, have resolved to set forth in a solemn declaration, these natural, imprescriptible, and inalienable rights: that this declaration being constantly present to the minds of the members of the body social, they may be forever kept attentive to their rights and their duties; that the acts of the legislative and executive powers of Government, being capable of being every moment compared with the end of political institutions, may be more respected; and also, that the future claims of the citizens, being directed by simple and incontestable principles, may always tend to the maintenance of the Constitution, and the general happiness.

For these reasons the National Assembly doth recognize and declare, in the presence of the Supreme Being, and with the hope of his blessing and favour, the following sacred rights of men and of citizens:

I. Men are born, and always continue, free and equal in respect of their rights. civil distinctions, therefore, can be founded only on public utility.

II. The end of all political associations is the preservation of the natural and imprescriptible rights of man; and these rights are liberty, property, security, and resistance of oppression.

III. The nation is essentially the source of all sovereignty; nor can any individual, or any body of men, be entitled to any authority which is not expressly derived from it.

IV. Political liberty consists in the power of doing whatever does not injure another. the exercise of the natural rights of every man, has no other limits than those which are necessary to secure to every other man the free exercise of the same rights; and these limits are determinable only by the law.

V. The law ought to prohibit only actions hurtful to society. What is not prohibited by the law should not be hindered; nor should anyone be compelled to that which the law does not require.

VI. The law is an expression of the will of the community. All citizens have a right to concur, either personally or by their representatives, in its formation. It should be the same to all, whether it protects or punishes; and all being equal in its sight, are equally eligible to all honours, places, and employments, according to their different abilities, without any other distinction than that created by their virtues and talents

VII. No man should be accused, arrested, or held in confinement, except in cases determined by the law, and according to the forms which it has prescribed. All who promote, solicit, execute, or cause to be executed, arbitrary orders, ought to be punished, and every citizen called upon, or apprehended by virtue of the law, ought immediately to obey, and renders himself culpable by resistance.

VIII. The law ought to impose no other penalties but such as are absolutely and evidently necessary; and no one ought to be punished, but in virtue of a law promulgated before the offence, and legally applied.

IX. Every man being presumed innocent till he has been convicted, whenever his detentionbecomes indispensable, all rigour to him, more than is necessary to secure his person, ought to be provided against by the law.

X. No man ought to be molested on account of his opinions, not even on account of his religious opinions, provided his avowal of them does not disturb the public order established by the law.

XI. The unrestrained communication of thoughts and opinions being one of the most precious rights of man, every citizen may speak, write, and publish freely, provided he is responsible for the abuse of this liberty, in cases determined by the law.

XII. A public force being necessary to give security to the rights of men and of citizens, that force is instituted for the benefit of the community and not for the particular benefit of the persons to whom it is intrusted.

XIII. A common contribution being necessary for the support of the public force, and for defraying the other expenses of government, it ought to be divided equally among the members of the community, according to their abilities.

XIV. Every citizen has a right, either by himself or his representative, to a free voice in determining the necessity of public contributions,the appropriation of them, and their amount, mode of assessment, and duration.

XV. Every community has a right to demand of all its agents an account of their conduct.

XVI. Every community in which a separation of powers and a security of rights is not provided for, wants a constitution.

XVII.The right to property being inviolable and sacred, no one ought to be deprived of it, except in cases of evident public necessity, legally ascertained, and on condition of a previous just indemnity.”

THE PHILOSOPHY PAGES

General

Philosophy

Theology