Society is a Blessing, Government an Evil
Tom Paine: “Society in every state is a blessing, but Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one”
Tom Paine, Liberty’s Hated Torchbearer
As the 18th century’s most influential political pamphleteer, Paine’s reputation was born with the American Revolution he was largely responsible for creating, and he wanted to spend his last years among people with whom he shared a passion for liberty.
Thomas Paine: Bicentennial of a Patriot
Paine was more than just a pamphleteer for the cause of freedom. He was a serious political philosopher, as the following excerpt from The Rights of Man demonstrates.
