Rights of Man

One of the most influential writers and reformers of his age, Thomas Paine successfully publicized the issues of his time in pamphlets that clearly and persuasively argued for political independence and social reform. Originally published in two parts, in 1791 and 1792, ‘Rights of Man’ is one of the great classics on democracy, a popular sensation in the United States, while in England, its incendiary views were seen as a threat to the Crown. For its erudite prose and rigorous argumentation, it remains a classic text of political thought. ‘Rights of Man’ is Paine’s greatest and most widely read work, defends the early events of the French Revolution, supports social security for workers, public employment for those in need of work, abolition of laws limiting wages, and other social reforms.
Written in response to Edmund Burke’s highly critical Reflections on the Revolution in France, its forceful rebuke of aristocratic rule and persuasive endorsement of self-government made it one of the most influential political statements in history. Paine asserts that human rights are not granted by the government but inherent to man’s nature. He goes on to argue that the purpose of government is to protect these natural rights, and if a government fails to do so, its people are duty-bound to revolution.

Thomas Paine (1737–1809) was born in Thetford, England, and was brought to America by Benjamin Franklin two years before the American Revolution. An activist, philosopher, and revolutionary, Paine went on to write the two most influential works encouraging the revolution: Common Sense and the pamphlet series The American Crisis.
Following America’s independence from England, Paine moved to France in 1790, where he became a key figure in the French Revolution, writing another pro-revolutionary work, Rights of Man. In addition to his political works, Paine also wrote the deist pamphlet The Age of Reason, a challenge to both the Bible and organized religion as a whole. Unlike his other works, The Age of Reason was poorly received and led to his ostracism by the community at large. Though Paine is now considered a great figure in American history, only six people attended his funeral.