Patrick Schwab
Common Sense analysis
The title Common Sense is used by Paine for irony and presentation of his
philosophy. “Common Sense” is introduced beginning with the highlight of separation
between society and government, stating that “one encourages intercourse, the other
creates distinctions” (69). At first this is confusing but when reading further, the
government is only there because we give up certain rights for a greater equal protection.
If man were to all abide be a conscious code let’s say, would our government be as
intertwined with society? Paine states, “For were the impulses of conscience clear,
uniform and irresistibly obeyed, man would need no other law-giver”. This quote jogged
my memory; such a political philosophy is awfully similar to idea of a Thomas Hobbes
social contract. The 17th century English philosopher thought to that society gave up
natural rights in order for a protection over human kind, the “Social contract theory” that
justifies the political arrangements and interference. Paine provides a theory to his
government and acknowledges the common conception, before analyzing and
scrutinizing it to a mockery.
Thomas Paine’s political philosophies may have been influenced by the fact Thomas
Hobbes was also born in England, So when understanding his view of the “necessary
evil”(69), known as government he provides his testimonies and opinion’s of the English
Constitution and Monarch in place. He attempts to describe the dismal, eternal confusion
between the format of the English monarchy and the people. When Paine uses the phrase
“put the crown in possession of the key.”(Paine, 74) He’s highlighting that even though
the English abstained from an absolute Monarchy, the “crown” which symbolizes a
certain class still dictates a great portion of government. Paine’s uses word such as
“posterity”(79) “children’s children” in order to stress the issue of the hereditary right’s
in the English monarch. Many of the topics contended by Paine were apart of the
common English ideology at the time, such as family and sovereignty. He provides
intriguing questions too if the monarch is hereditary, did our previous families determine
our future, and is there any ability to create your own future? This was thought to be
incredibly controversial and abstract at the Time. He also provides the statistics for
English uprising and rebellions “In which time there has been (including the revolution)
no less than eight civil wars and nineteen Rebellions”(Paine, 82) the English problems
being discussed, political repression and the dominance of houses sounds quite familiar
to those faced by colonists during the Revolutionary Era and in our current government
even. Paine states that the “Crown has engrossed the commons”(83). Meaning the
“crown” or monarch and aristocrats control the republican opinions and decisions in
government. Such oppression is awfully similar to the conflict of division in our senate,
pro administration vs. anti administration and how that effects the overall goal.
Common sense laid a foundation for future political literature and thesis’. When the
founding fathers determined their future and began drafting their petitions, complaints,
and eventually Constitution. Writers such as Paine are able to influence their reader’s
reason and appeal to logic. Paine provides testimony to the idiosyncrasy of the English
monarch, emphasizing on how passing of power hereditarily is illogical. Thomas Paine
even travels to the extent to state the English king is “ he is neither judge nor a
general”(Paine, 83), which even in today’s society is deducting a lot from the political
figure. So if the citizens native to England have such a discontent perception of their
Monarch, imagine the early patriots view of being ruled by the English Monarch. Paine’s
view of English influence and dictation of America can be summarized by such a quote, “
America would have flourished as much, and probably much more, had no European
power taken an notice of her”(Paine, 86). Thomas Paine most likely produced and
justified a great amount of hope, pride and strength into the patriotic ideals of the
colonists’. “On Her own account”(Paine, 86) this is how the English Monarchy rules
according to Thomas Paine, and I agree. England passes tariff and taxes “on her own
account” according and benefiting themselves. Paine once more provides testimony to
these conflicts happening on two separate continents, yet under the same Monarch.
Thomas Paine conscious or not, was escalating and inflating the rebellious reason and
opinion’s of those in America when publishing Common Sense.
Common sense was not easy to read nor a sprint, but provided a large amount of
information into the patterns of repression. Paine illustrated how society appeared in
England and the Americas in the 18th Century. Thomas Paine lays the steps to proper
rebellion and conducts himself in a persuasive manner throughout Common Sense. When
comparing the declaration of independence to Common Sense it’s clear that there are a
few reminiscent ideas. First, the idea that the people for the people create the
government. Thomas Paine demonstrates such opinion by using Hobbes Social Contract
Theory; the Americans used such logic when justifying the right to overthrow the English
Monarch. The idea of Equality can also be found in both texts, the Declaration of
independence and Common Sense. Paine challenges the hereditary monarch when saying
if power and aristocracy is hereditary are we not doomed to the reality of our ancestors?
Paine disagrees on the restriction of equality, as well does Thomas Jefferson who once
wrote “all men are created equal”(164,textbook). It seems as if most governing powers
assume their place in eternity and forget that they are temporary.