Common Sense

Common Sense

Thomas Paine's Common Sense was first published in January of 1776 for the sake of arguing American Independence. The revolutionary war began April 19, 1775, so his pamphlet was being widely read amidst the war. Paine was arguing that the colonists should seek complete independence from Britain, rather than merely fight to free themselves from English taxation. Many colonists were still very much loyal to the crown so the latter was a more appealing idea to them. Paine's ideas played a central role in changing public opinion and were an important precursor to the Declaration of Independence.

Thomas Paine discusses six major themes in his pamphlet. Paine starts off by distinguishing between society and government as a necessary evil. He explains that society fosters the fulfillment of our desires while government is there only to keep man from indulging his vices. He explains that if a country with a government is plagued with corruption and oppression, it is far worse than if it were to occur on its own because the government is supposed to represent the people. Paine then goes on to explain his state of nature theme. Paine makes us imagine a natural state in which man might have first found himself. This analysis makes us imagine how man might have first interacted with each other without the presence of a government or any other outside source. He explains that in a society like this, all men were originally equal and thus makes a reference to how the first settlers in America were in a similar situation. Paine constantly throughout the book presents the idea of the inevitability of American independence. He explains the necessity of totally separating the colonies from English rule because many people at the time were uncertain about the idea of a revolution. Making this argument was an important step in convincing the American people of an immediate full on rebellion. Another key point in Paine's argument derives from considering what will happen if America reconciles with Britain. Paine argues that even if the colonists reach an agreement with Britain, the problems that have developed between the colonies and the king will inevitably repeat themselves. Next Paine argues the importance of the relationship with the rest of Europe. He is very aware that America needs to develop political and commercial ties with the European nations and argues that if they continue to be subservient to Britain, they will never be able to reap the opportunities