People

Thomas Paine 1737–1809 England, United States

"The most detestable wickedness, the most horrid cruelties, and the greatest miseries that have afflicted the human race have had their origin in this thing called revelation, or revealed religion. It has been the most destructive to the peace of man since man began to exist." Thomas Paine [The Age of Reason]

Encyclopedia Entries

Thomas Paine Oxford Companion to Philosophy
Thomas Paine Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Thomas Paine Encyclopedia Britannica

 

Questions of 

The Social Contract, liberty, equality, fraternity

Reading

Rights of Man

Writing available on the net

An Essay on Dream Secular Web
Answer to Bishop Llandaff Secular Web
Collected works of Paine plus commentary Secular Web
Common Sense 4Literature.net
Common Sense Virginia Tech
Common Sense American Revolution
Common Sense Bartleby
Common Sense Modern History Sourcebook
Common Sense Footnotes 4Literature.net
Essay on Religion Modern History Sourcebook
Examination of the Prophecies Secular Web
Letter to Andrew Dean Secular Web
Letters concerning "The Age of Reason" Secular Web
Liberty Tree 4Literature.net
Of the Religion of Deism Compared with the Christian Religion Modern History Sourcebook
Origin of Free-Masonry Secular Web
Our Infidels and Thomas Paine Robert G. Ingersoll Positive Atheism
Predestination Secular Web
Prospect Papers Secular Web
Rights of Man American Revolution
Rights of Man Virginia Tech
Rights of Man Secular Web
Rights of Man 4Literature.net
Rights of Man The Avalon Project
Rights of Man Authors Notes 4Literature.net
Selected Writings Liberty Library
Study of God 4Literature.net
The Age of Reason Marxists.org
The Age of Reason Virginia Tech
The Age of Reason Secular Web
The Age of Reason 4Literature.net
The Age of Reason Positive Atheism
The American Crisis Virginia Tech
The American Crisis The Avalon Project
The Existence of God Secular Web
The Life of Thomas Paine Thomas Rickman Positive Atheism
The Philosophy of Paine Thomas Edison Positive Atheism

 

Commentaries

Thomas Paine Philosopher of the Month

Quotations

''A bad cause will ever be supported by bad means and bad men.''
[The American Crisis]


''It is necessary to the happiness of man that he be mentally faithful to himself. Infidelity does not consist in believing, or in disbelieving, it consists in professing to believe what one does not believe.'' [The Age of Reason]


''The declaration which says that God visits the sins of the fathers upon the children is contrary to every principle of moral justice.'' [The Age of Reason]


''The most detestable wickedness, the most horrid cruelties, and the greatest miseries that have afflicted the human race have had their origin in this thing called revelation, or revealed religion. It has been the most destructive to the peace of man since man began to exist.'' [The Age of Reason]