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Thomas Paine Quotes - Page 2

All Quotes 4th Of July Adversity Age Ambition Arguing Art Atheism Atheist Being Strong Belief Bible Character Children Christ Christianity Church Common Sense Community Constitution Country Creation Crime Democracy Determination Devil Duty Dying Earth Encouragement Evil Exercise Fate Fear Feelings Fighting Freedom Giving God Happiness Heart Heaven Home Honesty Honor Humanity Hypocrisy Ignorance Imagination Independence Inspirational Integrity Jesus Justice Language Liberty Life Lying Money Morality Motivation Nature Opportunity Oppression Passion Patriotism Peace Perseverance Philosophy Politics Poverty Prejudice Progress Purpose Reflection Religion Revolution School Science Scripture Second Amendment Separation Slavery Soul Strength Study Taxes Theology Time Trade Trust Truth Tyranny Unity Virtue Voting War Wisdom

When extraordinary power and extraordinary pay are allotted to any individual in a government, he becomes the center, round which every kind of corruption generates and forms.

When extraordinary power and extraordinary pay are allotted to any individual in a government, he becomes the center, round which every kind of corruption generates and forms.

Government, Political, Politics

Thomas Paine (2013). “The Thomas Paine Reader”, p.343, Simon and Schuster

The real man smiles in trouble, gathers strength from distress, and grows brave by reflection.

Inspirational, Positive, Strength

It is error only, and not truth, that shrinks from inquiry.

Peace, Truth, War

Thomas Paine (1824). “The Political Writings of Thomas Paine: Secretary to the Committee of Foreign Affairs in the American Revolution : to which is Prefixed a Brief Sketch of the Author's Life”, p.284

There are two distinct classes of men - those who pay taxes and those who receive and live upon taxes.

Men, Class, Two

Thomas Paine (1830). “The Political Writings of Thomas Paine ...: Prospects on the Rubicon. Rights of man, part I. Rights of man, part II. Letter to the authors of the Republican. Letter to the Abbe Sieyes. Address to the addressers. Letters to Lord Onslow. Dissertation on the first principles of government. Speech delivered in the French National convention. Letter to Mr. Secretary Dundas. The decline and fall of the English system of finance. Letter to the people of France. Reasons for preserving the life of Louis”, p.281

Where knowledge is a duty, ignorance is a crime.

Ignorance, Crime, Duty

Thomas Paine, John P. Kaminski (2002). “Citizen Paine: Thomas Paine's Thoughts on Man, Government, Society, and Religion”, p.136, Rowman & Littlefield

Freedom had been hunted round the globe; reason was considered as rebellion; and the slavery of fear had made men afraid to think. But such is the irresistible nature of truth, that all it asks, and all it wants, is the liberty of appearing.

Truth, Freedom, Men

Thomas Paine, Bruce Kuklick (2000). “Paine: Political Writings”, p.162, Cambridge University Press

It is always to be taken for granted, that those who oppose an equality of rights never mean the exclusion should take place on themselves.

Taken, Mean, Rights

Thomas Paine (1819). “The political and miscellaneous works of Thomas Paine”

Rights are not gifts from one man to another, nor from one class of men to another. It is impossible to discover any origin of rights otherwise than in the origin of man; it consequently follows that rights appertain to man in right of his existence, and must therefore be equal to every man.

Men, Class, Rights

Thomas Paine, Mark Philp (2008). “Rights of Man, Common Sense, and Other Political Writings”, p.402, Oxford University Press

The strength and power of despotism consists wholly in the fear of resistance.

Motivation, Fear, Tyrants

The World is my country, all mankind are my brethren, and to do good is my religion.

Inspirational, Life, Wisdom

When a man has so far corrupted and prostituted the chastity of his mind, as to [profess] things he does not believe, he has prepared himself for the commission of every other crime.

Honesty, Integrity, Believe

Thomas Paine (1861). “The Age of Reason, etc”, p.1

Christianity is the strangest religion ever set up, for it committed a murder upon Jesus in order to redeem mankind from the sin of eating an apple.

Jesus, Order, Apples

Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it.

Inspirational, Life, Motivational

The American Crisis, 12 Sept. 1777

Reputation is what men and women think of us; character is what God and angels know of us.

Inspirational, Motivation, Character

If I do not believe as you believe, it proves that you do not believe as I believe, and that is all that it proves.

Believe, Tolerance, Prove

Thomas Paine (1859). “Complete Works”

It is not in numbers, but in unity, that our great strength lies.

Lying, Numbers, Unity

Thomas Paine (1995). “Collected Writings”, p.36, Library of America

To take away (voting) is to reduce a man to slavery.

Men, Voting, Slavery

The trade of governing has always been monopolized by the most ignorant and the most rascally individuals of mankind.

Government, Political, Ignorant

It has been the political career of this man to begin with hypocrisy, proceed with arrogance, and finish with contempt

Men, Careers, Hypocrisy

Thomas Paine (1819). “The Political and Miscellaneous Works of Thomas Paine ...”

Moderation in temper is always a virtue; but moderation in principle is always a vice.

Pain, Motivation, Vices

The Rights of Man pt. 2, ch. 5 (1792) See Goldwater 3

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.

Education, Ignorance, Government

Thomas Paine (1856). “Rights of Man: Being an Answer to Mr. Burke's Attack on the French Revolution”, p.141

To argue with a man who has renounced the use and authority of reason, and whose philosophy consists in holding humanity in contempt, is like administering medicine to the dead, or endeavoring to convert an atheist by scripture.

Atheist, Philosophy, Men

Thomas Paine (2003). “Common Sense, The Rights of Man and Other Essential Writings of ThomasPaine”, p.107, Penguin

Beware the greedy hand of government thrusting itself into every corner and crevice of industry.

Government, Hands, Taxation

"Rights of Man, Part 2". Book by Thomas Paine. "Introduction", en.wikisource.org. 1792.

We have it in our power to begin the world over again.

Change, Motivation, 4th Of July

Common Sense appendix (1776)

A constitution is not the act of a government, but of a people constituting a government; and government without a constitution is power without a right. All power exercised over a nation, must have some beginning. It must be either delegated, or assumed. There are not other sources. All delegated power is trust, and all assumed power is usurpation. Time does not alter the nature and quality of either.

Trust, Government, People

Thomas Paine, Mark Philp (2008). “Rights of Man, Common Sense, and Other Political Writings”, p.238, Oxford University Press

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