Top 25 Quotes by Thomas Paine of 526 - Page 17

Aristocracy has a tendency to degenerate the human species.

Aristocracy has a tendency to degenerate the human species.

Aristocracy, Degenerates, Tendencies

Thomas Paine (2003). “Common Sense, The Rights of Man and Other Essential Writings of ThomasPaine”, p.196, Penguin

Whatever has a tendency to promote the civil intercourse of nations by an exchange of benefits is a subject as worthy of philosophy as of politics.

Thomas Paine

Philosophy, Benefits, Tendencies

Thomas Paine (2016). “THOMAS PAINE Ultimate Collection: Political Works, Philosophical Writings, Speeches, Letters & Biography (Including Common Sense, The Rights of Man & The Age of Reason): The American Crisis, The Constitution of 1795, Declaration of Rights, Agrarian Justice, The Republican Proclamation, Anti-Monarchal Essay, Letters to Thomas Jefferson and George Washington…”, p.335, e-artnow

The continual whine of lamenting the burden of taxes, however successfully it may be practiced in mixed governments, is inconsistent with the sense and spirit of a republic. If taxes are necessary, they are of course advantageous, but if they require an apology, the apology itself implies an impeachment. Why, then, is man imposed upon, or why does he impose upon himself?

Thomas Paine

Apology, Men, Doe

Thomas Paine (1854). “The Works of Thomas Paine: A Hero in the American Revolution. With an Account of His Life ...”, p.104

Every Tory is a coward; for servile, slavish, self-interested fear is the foundation of Toryism; and a man under such influence, though he may be cruel, never can be brave.

Thomas Paine

Men, Self, Brave

Thomas Paine (1819). “The American Crisis”, p.14

Man cannot make, or invent, or contrive principles; he can only discover them; and he ought to look through the discovery to the Author.

Thomas Paine

Men, Discovery, Principles

Thomas Paine, John P. Kaminski (2002). “Citizen Paine: Thomas Paine's Thoughts on Man, Government, Society, and Religion”, p.185, Rowman & Littlefield

A bad cause will ever be supported by bad means and bad men.

Thomas Paine

Mean, Men, Causes

"Citizen Paine: Thomas Paine's Thoughts on Man, Government, Society, and Religion".

Better fare hard with good men than feast it with bad.

Thomas Paine

4th Of July, Men, Good Man

Man did not make the earth, and though he had a natural right to occupy it, he had no right to locate as his property in perpetuity, any part of it.

Thomas Paine

Men, Land, Earth

Thomas Paine (1995). “Collected Writings”, p.399, Library of America

The state of a king shuts him from the world, yet the business of a king requires him to know it thoroughly.

Thomas Paine

Kings, World, States

Thomas Paine (2015). “Common Sense: and The American Crisis I”, p.17, Penguin

The animals to whom nature has given the faculty we call cunning know always when to use it, and use it wisely; but when man descends to cunning he blunders and betrays.

Thomas Paine

Animal, Men, Use

Thomas Paine (1819). “The Political Works of Thomas Paine: In Two Volumes”

The intimacy which is contracted in infancy, and friendship which is formed in misfortune, are, of all others, the most lasting and unalterable.

Thomas Paine

Intimacy, Infancy, Lasting

Thomas Paine (2015). “Common Sense: and The American Crisis I”, p.37, Penguin

Cultivation is at least one of the greatest natural improvements ever made by human invention. It has given to created earth a tenfold value. But the landed monopoly that began with it has produced the greatest evil. It has dispossessed more than half the inhabitants of every nation of their natural inheritance, without providing for them, as ought to have been done, an indemnification for that loss, and has thereby created a species of poverty and wretchedness that did not exist before.

Thomas Paine

Loss, Evil, Inheritance

Thomas Paine (2013). “Agrarian Justice”, p.9, Simon and Schuster

The graceful pride of truth knows no extremes, and preserves, in every latitude of life, the right-angled character of man.

Thomas Paine

Character, Pride, Men

Thomas Paine, John P. Kaminski (2002). “Citizen Paine: Thomas Paine's Thoughts on Man, Government, Society, and Religion”, p.232, Rowman & Littlefield

These proceedings may at first seem strange and difficult, but like all other steps which we have already passed over, will in a little time become familiar and agreeable: and until an independence is declared, the Continent will feel itself like a man who continues putting off some unpleasant business from day to day, yet knows it must be done, hates to set about it, wishes it over, and is continually haunted with the thoughts of its necessity.

Thomas Paine

Hate, Men, Independence

Thomas Paine (2016). “THOMAS PAINE Ultimate Collection: Political Works, Philosophical Writings, Speeches, Letters & Biography (Including Common Sense, The Rights of Man & The Age of Reason): The American Crisis, The Constitution of 1795, Declaration of Rights, Agrarian Justice, The Republican Proclamation, Anti-Monarchal Essay, Letters to Thomas Jefferson and George Washington…”, p.36, e-artnow

He is not affected by the reality of distress touching his heart, but by the showy resemblance of it striking his imagination. He pities the plumage, but forgets the dying bird.

Thomas Paine

Heart, Reality, Imagination

The Rights of Man pt. 1 (1791)

Revelation is necessarily limited to the first communication- after that it is only an account of something which that person says was a revelation made to him; and though he may find himself obliged to believe it, it can not be incumbent on me to believe it in the same manner; for it was not a revelation made to ME, and I have only his word for it that it was made to him.

Thomas Paine

Believe, Communication, Religion

Thomas Paine (1861). “The Age of Reason, etc”, p.2

It is a general idea, that when taxes are once laid on, they are never taken off.

Thomas Paine

Taken, Ideas, Taxes

Thomas Paine (1792). “Rights of Man: Being an Answer to Mr. Burke's Attack on the French Reuolution. By Thomas Paine ... Part 1. [-second!: Rights of man; part the second. Combining principle and practice. By Thomas Paine ..”, p.60

Change of ministers amounts to nothing. One goes out, another comes in, and still the same measures, vices, and extravagances are pursued. It signifies not who is minister. The defect lies in the system. The foundation and superstructure of the government is bad. Prop it as you please, it continually sinks and ever will.

Thomas Paine

Lying, Government, Political

Thomas Paine (2014). “Selected Writings of Thomas Paine”, p.353, Yale University Press

The representative system of government is calculated to produce the wisest laws, by collecting wisdom where it can be found.

Thomas Paine

Government, Law, Political

Thomas Paine (2015). “The Thomas Paine Collection: Common Sense, Rights of Man, Age of Reason, An Essay on Dream, Biblical Blasphemy, Examination Of The Prophecies”, p.140, Ravenio Books

Is it because you are sunk in the cruelty of superstition, or feel no interest in the honor of your Creator, that you listen to the horrid tales of the Bible, or hear them with callous indifference?

Thomas Paine

Honor, Superstitions, Indifference

Thomas Paine (1852). “The Age of Reason: Being an Investigation of True and Fabulous Theology”, p.109

The duty of man is not a wilderness of turnpike gates, through which he is to pass by tickets from one to the other. It is plain and simple, and consists but of two points--his duty God, which every man must feel; and, with respect to his neighbor, to do as he would be done by.

Thomas Paine

Simple, Men, Two

Thomas Paine (2016). “The Rights of Man”, p.40, Xist Publishing

I die content, I die for the liberty of my country.

Thomas Paine

Country, Patriotism, Liberty

It is far better that we admitted a thousand devils to roam at large than that we permitted one such imposter and monster as Moses, Joshua, Samuel, and the Bible prophets, to come with the pretended word of God and have credit among us.

Thomas Paine

Religion, Devil, Monsters

Thomas Paine (1835). “The Theological Works of Thomas Paine: The Most Complete Edition Ever Published”, p.151

Small islands, not capable of protecting themselves, are the proper objects for kingdoms to take under their care; but there is something absurd, in supposing a continent to be perpetually governed by an island.

Thomas Paine

Islands, Supposing That, Care

Thomas Paine (1830). “The Political Writings of Thomas Paine: To which is Prefixed a Brief Sketch of the Author's Life”, p.40

Wisdom is not the purchase of a day, and it is no wonder that we should err at the first setting off.

Thomas Paine

Firsts, Wonder, Should

Thomas Paine (2016). “THOMAS PAINE Ultimate Collection: Political Works, Philosophical Writings, Speeches, Letters & Biography (Including Common Sense, The Rights of Man & The Age of Reason): The American Crisis, The Constitution of 1795, Declaration of Rights, Agrarian Justice, The Republican Proclamation, Anti-Monarchal Essay, Letters to Thomas Jefferson and George Washington…”, p.41, e-artnow

Thomas Paine Quotes - Page 17

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