A nation under a well regulated government, should permit none to remain uninstructed. It is monarchical and aristocratical government only that requires ignorance for its support. -Thomas Paine, Rights of Man It is the government with something to hide, or thinks itself justified in so doing, that we must fear most.
Category Archives: Philosophy of Thomas Paine
On the Servitude of Fear
“…the slavery of fear had made men afraid to think.” -Thomas Paine, Rights of Man Fear is the enemy of reason. Fear invites suspicion, prejudice, division. Overcoming fear is the path to freedom.
On God’s Wrath
“Belief in a cruel God makes a cruel man” -Thomas Paine We can have a loving God, or a cruel one. The true values of God are reflected in the actions of those whom profess belief.
On Bailouts and Economic Panic
“‘Tis surprising to see how rapidly a panic will sometimes run through a country. All nations and ages have been subject to them.”-Thomas Paine, The American Crisis No age or epoch of humanity has not eventually found itself the victim of its own base instincts. Fear, greed, and panic spread through the body politic like a virus, …
On the Politics of Resentment
“There are two distinct species of popularity; the one excited by merit, the other by resentment.” -Thomas Paine Too often it seems as if our political leaders and those seeking power pander toward the worst in people – intolerance and resentment, fear and prejudice. Achieving popularity by inciting the darker passions in people may win elections, but …
On the Divinity of Reason
“It is only by the exercise of reason that man can discover God.”
On the Perverse Utility of Falsehood
“Every lie is welcome that suits its purpose.”-Thomas Paine Nobody wishes to be called a liar, but many will believe in lies to reinforce a delusion. To every lie, its purpose. Tags: thomas+paine+and+falsehood, lie+suits+it+purpose
On Redefining Torture
“An avidity to punish is always dangerous to liberty. It leads men to stretch, to misinterpret, and to misapply even the best of laws. He that would make his own liberty secure must guard even his enemy from oppression; for if he violates this duty he establishes a precedent that will reach to himself.”-Thomas Paine …
On Cheap Energy
“What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly”-Thomas Paine True for any aspect of our lives, but particularly significant today with the rising cost of energy, in terms of dollars as well as the social and environmental consequences of our energy culture. For decades we in the developed world have enjoyed an abundance that …
On the Nature of Ignorance
“Ignorance is of a peculiar nature; once dispelled, it is impossible to re-establish it. It is not originally a thing of itself, but is only the absence of knowledge; and though man may be kept ignorant, he cannot be made ignorant.”-Thomas Paine, Rights of Man To be ignorant is not bliss, to remain ignorant is …