Thomas Paine: Collected Writings (Loa #76): Common Sense / The American Crisis / Rights of Man / The Age of Reason / Pamphlets, Articles, and Letters

Thomas Paine was the most consistent and important of all the American Founding Fathers. He consistently spoke up in favor of liberty and freedom; for example, his opposition to the institution of slavery (which he argued was immoral and un-Christian and thought it quite contradictory to claim to be a Christian on the one hand and support slavery on the other hand) - Paine also spoke up in support of women's rights, freedom of thought, the poor, etc. The important thing about Paine is that he practiced what he preached, as opposed to just about every other founding father (e.g., Jefferson saying all are "created equal" but owning slaves, or Adams "dismissing" his wife's assertion that they too should be included in the political process). I don't think we ought to condemn those individuals for the beliefs that they had, indeed they were products of their time period - and they are worthy of study. However, I also believe that we should praise those who were able to step out of that period and see things as they are, this is what Paine was able to do. If you doubt Paine's importance in the history of American independence, consider the following; probably no other phamphlet brought the idea of independence to the mind of the colonists like Paine's "Common Sense" did and it was Paine's "Crisis #1" that was read to Washington's soldiers before they prepared for the biggest fight of the American Revolution. Paine's defense of the French Revolution in his "Rights of Man" sparked off a publication war that has yet to be matched and his "The Age of Reason" delineated the philosophical ideas that most of the founding fathers had with regard to religion (regardless of what the religious right would have you to believe). Paine's mistake was not believing what most of the founding fathers believed, that the "common man and woman" was not intellectual enough to handle the arguments that he (and the others) were advocating. It was his consistency which brought about his downfall - this is a shame, because he is one of the most important thinkers to come out of the Revolutionary Period in American history.

This book collects together Paine's Common Sense (which was instrumental in collecting and gathering America's attention to the benefits of strict independence from Great Britain); his letters or series entitled "the American Crisis," which galvanizes his previous topics; gives a brief account of his engineering work for arches bridges; provides another span of letters on his involvement in the French Revolution, and finishes with his Age of Reason, in which he examines and debunks the Bible. Though his reasoning and conclusions may alarm some and even offend others, his thinking and writing is lucid and cogent, and for reflective minds will provide much food for thought. Accused of sophistry and impudence by some of his contemporaries, his reasoning is normally sound and simple, as he inquires into the root of things, and only seldom does he make debating points fit only for the playground. A sensible and likable man, Paine's writing should engage any American for its historical sense, any lover or researcher interested in human rights and the hope of removing human misery, and any person interested in reading the entertaining but vital arguments of a man whose love of liberty and order forced him late in life to become one of America's most influential revolutionary and socially-minded voices.

This volume is of great value to anyone who's interested in the foundations of this country. Paine was far ahead of his time in so many areas, for example in his vocal criticism of slavery. This country owes a debt to him in the profound impact he had on those who wrote the constitution and declaration of independence. The closing work of this volume, The Age of Reason, was, for its time, a very courageous indictment of the bible. It was written toward the end of Paine's life. There have been many men of courage and conviction, but Paine also had a profound honesty and the gift of a great intellect which allowed to express his ideas clearly.The binding, cover, and paper of this volume are of the highest quality. The volume is smaller than the typical bestseller hardback, both in length, width, and thickness. But its slenderness is due to high quality of the very thin paper--the book has over 900 pages. I liked its small size because it makes it comfortable to read.

A "must have" for any legitimate personal "library".Paine's thoughts are important reading for every person who would call himself educated and versed in the history of ideas about how society should organize -- particularly "Common Sense" and "The Age of Reason". I myself would have included him in Stephen Covey's "Wisdom Literature" ("First Things First"). Carl Sagan cites him ("The Demon Haunted World") in support of his own reflections on "the God hypothesis".COMMON SENSE speaks to form and purpose of government and was the pivotal Revolutionary pamphlet in which Paine disected and debunked the legitimacy of monarchy, giving voice to the growing feelings in the Colonies that being ruled by the King of England had become obsolete. Paine's articulation served to "tune" the chorused voices of the Colonies, which before his writing, were loud but out of tune. (War was underway, but the Colonies not well organized in a joint defense.) COMMON SENSE even has a refreshed relevance in the aftermath of the 9/11/01 tragedies in New York, as we re-examine some of our institutions.THE AGE OF REASON will be disagreeable reading to devout followers of any organized religion -- particularly Christians -- as it is Paine's book-by-book disection and denunciation of the Bible (and, by extension, the "scriptures" of all other religions) as a collection of fables, nurtured through the ages for corrupt purposes of church leaders (starting hundreds of years BC). But, almost by definition, an educated person MUST acknowledge disagreeable ideas and THEN make disposition of them Once in a while "disagreement" is even persuaded to new thinking, n'est ce pas?.This edition is a particularly excellent resource for these pieces and Paine's other writings. It is scrupulously based on the best discoverable versions, with meticulous notes documenting the sources. The physical quality of the printing and binding is premium in every aspect, and will last for generations. Truly a "library" quality volume, far superior to the typical "best seller" construction.

Thomas Paine's greatness lied in his ability to take the abstract ideas of the American Revolution and make them graspable by all of his time, while infusing them with the moral passion that they truly deserved. Paine is one of the great masters of ideas taken into action. His immortal opening of the "American Crisis" was like new fuel to a dying flame. "These are the times that try men's souls," he wrote, and his arguments for continuing the revolution reminded the patriots of the meaning of their fight. And Paine could not have been timelier-his words came at a time when the success of the revolution seemed much in doubt.Perhaps more than any man, he breathed new life into the patriots though his keen analysis and moral passion. 225 years later, he still gives life to the idea of America, even as our freedoms come under increased threat.Thomas Paine is required reading for any student of America who wishes to understand the ideas from which America was made real.