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Common Sense: The Unabridged and Complete Edition
"Common Sense" by Thomas Paine is a pivotal pamphlet published in 1776 that passionately argues for American independence from British rule. In this unabridged edition, Paine presents clear, accessible arguments that advocate for the rights of individuals and the necessity of a democratic government. He critiques monarchy and hereditary succession while inspiring colonists to pursue freedom and self-governance. With its powerful rhetoric and compelling logic, "Common Sense" played a crucial role in shaping public opinion and galvanizing support for the American Revolution, marking it as a foundational text in the history of democratic thought.
71 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 25, 2024
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About the author
Thomas Paine
1,496 books1,850 followersThomas Paine was an English-American political activist, author, political theorist and revolutionary. As the author of two highly influential pamphlets at the start of the American Revolution, he inspired the Patriots in 1776 to declare independence from Britain. His ideas reflected Enlightenment-era rhetoric of transnational human rights. He has been called "a corset maker by trade, a journalist by profession, and a propagandist by inclination".
Born in Thetford, England, in the county of Norfolk, Paine emigrated to the British American colonies in 1774 with the help of Benjamin Franklin, arriving just in time to participate in the American Revolution. His principal contributions were the powerful, widely read pamphlet Common Sense (1776), the all-time best-selling American book that advocated colonial America's independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain, and The American Crisis (1776–83), a pro-revolutionary pamphlet series. Common Sense was so influential that John Adams said, "Without the pen of the author of Common Sense, the sword of Washington would have been raised in vain."
Paine lived in France for most of the 1790s, becoming deeply involved in the French Revolution. He wrote the Rights of Man (1791), in part a defence of the French Revolution against its critics. His attacks on British writer Edmund Burke led to a trial and conviction in absentia in 1792 for the crime of seditious libel. In 1792, despite not being able to speak French, he was elected to the French National Convention. The Girondists regarded him as an ally. Consequently, the Montagnards, especially Robespierre, regarded him as an enemy.
In December 1793, he was arrested and imprisoned in Paris, then released in 1794. He became notorious because of his pamphlet The Age of Reason (1793–94), in which he advocated deism, promoted reason and freethinking, and argued against institutionalized religion in general and Christian doctrine in particular. He also wrote the pamphlet Agrarian Justice (1795), discussing the origins of property, and introduced the concept of a guaranteed minimum income. In 1802, he returned to America where he died on June 8, 1809. Only six people attended his funeral as he had been ostracized for his ridicule of Christianity.
Born in Thetford, England, in the county of Norfolk, Paine emigrated to the British American colonies in 1774 with the help of Benjamin Franklin, arriving just in time to participate in the American Revolution. His principal contributions were the powerful, widely read pamphlet Common Sense (1776), the all-time best-selling American book that advocated colonial America's independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain, and The American Crisis (1776–83), a pro-revolutionary pamphlet series. Common Sense was so influential that John Adams said, "Without the pen of the author of Common Sense, the sword of Washington would have been raised in vain."
Paine lived in France for most of the 1790s, becoming deeply involved in the French Revolution. He wrote the Rights of Man (1791), in part a defence of the French Revolution against its critics. His attacks on British writer Edmund Burke led to a trial and conviction in absentia in 1792 for the crime of seditious libel. In 1792, despite not being able to speak French, he was elected to the French National Convention. The Girondists regarded him as an ally. Consequently, the Montagnards, especially Robespierre, regarded him as an enemy.
In December 1793, he was arrested and imprisoned in Paris, then released in 1794. He became notorious because of his pamphlet The Age of Reason (1793–94), in which he advocated deism, promoted reason and freethinking, and argued against institutionalized religion in general and Christian doctrine in particular. He also wrote the pamphlet Agrarian Justice (1795), discussing the origins of property, and introduced the concept of a guaranteed minimum income. In 1802, he returned to America where he died on June 8, 1809. Only six people attended his funeral as he had been ostracized for his ridicule of Christianity.
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January 30, 2026
Reading this in these times in America is particularly ... interesting.
As a political science major and a long time practicing attorney, I have always found Politics frustrating, imperfect, and aggravating, not the least because of how incredibly complicated AND essential it is to human life. I truly wish our politics could be "common sense." They just are not, and cannot be. Humans may be the smartest animals on the planet, but that is exactly the problem. We are also greedy, mean, and selfish,. We are animals, which comes with murderous appetites and intentional brutality. That's how carnivores survive. But as humans we've developed the capacity to collaborate to work toward common goals, and to experience compassion for others and act on that compassion to help each other.
As a group, living together. we have a hard time balancing these contrary natures. we create systems to try to regulate each other's more brutal behavior, but we're just a bit too suspicious to trust each other. Religion and politics both try. We know the atrocities committed in their names.
There may be no perfect government. Oddly that's the conclusion Paine draws me too. His arguments do not convince me that the faults for why we should not have reconciled with the British now seems to ring true for our present Republic. Our nature can work to destroy any form of government we turn to.
But I want to live in a democracy based on a Constitution of basic human rights for all, instead of this patched together Republic that never met the stated goal of all people being created equal.
As a political science major and a long time practicing attorney, I have always found Politics frustrating, imperfect, and aggravating, not the least because of how incredibly complicated AND essential it is to human life. I truly wish our politics could be "common sense." They just are not, and cannot be. Humans may be the smartest animals on the planet, but that is exactly the problem. We are also greedy, mean, and selfish,. We are animals, which comes with murderous appetites and intentional brutality. That's how carnivores survive. But as humans we've developed the capacity to collaborate to work toward common goals, and to experience compassion for others and act on that compassion to help each other.
As a group, living together. we have a hard time balancing these contrary natures. we create systems to try to regulate each other's more brutal behavior, but we're just a bit too suspicious to trust each other. Religion and politics both try. We know the atrocities committed in their names.
There may be no perfect government. Oddly that's the conclusion Paine draws me too. His arguments do not convince me that the faults for why we should not have reconciled with the British now seems to ring true for our present Republic. Our nature can work to destroy any form of government we turn to.
But I want to live in a democracy based on a Constitution of basic human rights for all, instead of this patched together Republic that never met the stated goal of all people being created equal.
Displaying 1 of 1 review