Common Sense is a politically focused book written by Thomas Paine around the time that the American Revolution had begun. The main purpose of the book was to support and encourage the original thirteen colonies to claim independence from Britain. It is a well planned and logical argument to the way the new world should be governed. Paine used moral and logical appeal to produce this persuasive piece. The book starts with looks at the idea of government, next is monarchy, then the state of the colonies, and finally ends with an urging to take the opportunity on hand. In the first section of the book, Paine distinguishes the difference between government and society. He agrees with the idea that people need to be governed but only because it’s necessary to suppress the natural evil of mankind. In other words, he believes government is a necessary evil and between it and the evil of mankind it is the lesser of the two evils. He also addresses the fact that it’s unrealistic and would be too chaotic for every person in the colonies to vote on each and every law. As a solution to this problem, he introduces the idea of elections and representatives in politics. He also references the …show more content…
He argues that all men are initially equal at their time of creation meaning that the distinction between kings and their subjects (as in England) is false due to their actual equality at birth. Paine then discusses and gives examples of some of the problems caused by kings and monarchies in the past and concludes that “In England a king hath little more to do than to make war and give away places; which in plain terms, is to impoverish the nation and set it together by the ears. A pretty business indeed for a man to be allowed eight hundred thousand sterling a year for, and worshipped into the bargain! Of more worth is one honest man to society and in the sight of God, than all the crowned ruffians that ever