Thomas Paine
Thomas Paine
Thomas Painewas an English-American political activist, philosopher, political theorist, and revolutionary. One of the Founding Fathers of the United States, he authored the two most influential pamphlets at the start of the American Revolution, and he inspired the rebels in 1776 to declare independence from Britain. His ideas reflected Enlightenment-era rhetoric of transnational human rights. He has been called "a corsetmaker by trade, a journalist by profession, and a propagandist by inclination"...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionPhilosopher
Date of Birth29 January 1736
CityThetford, England
We have it in our power to begin the world over again.
It is an affront to treat falsehood with complaisance.
Human nature is not of itself vicious.
Virtues are acquired through endeavor, Which rests wholly upon yourself. So, to praise others for their virtues Can but encourage one's own efforts.
Titles are but nicknames, and every nickname is a title.
There are matters in the Bible, said to be done by the express commandment of God, that are shocking to humanity and to every idea we have of moral justice.
It is not a field of a few acres of ground, but a cause, that we are defending, and whether we defeat the enemy in one battle, or by degrees, the consequences will be the same.
The most formidable weapon against errors of every kind is reason.
Time makes more converts than reason.
Persecution is not an original feature in any religion; but it is always the strongly marked feature of all religions established by law.
Every religion is good that teaches man to be good; and I know of none that instructs him to be bad.
To establish any mode to abolish war, however advantageous it might be to Nations, would be to take from such Government the most lucrative of its branches.
We can only reason from what is; we can reason on actualities, but not on possibilities.
Suspicion is the companion of mean souls, and the bane of all good society.