Summary Of Common Sense By Thomas Paine

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In the pamphlet Common Sense (1776), Thomas Paine, an American political activist and theorist who rallied support for the revolutionary cause through his various writings, argues that government, though an evil construct, is necessary so that the citizens of the nation may have security and freedom. Paine utilizes juxtapositions, biblical allusions, and hypothetical situations to increase opposition to the English monarchy and to raise support for a democracy while uniting the people; Paine begins his argument by contrasting society and government, portraying the government as the ultimate evil by describing it as a “punisher” and “a necessary evil” while at the same time depicting society as a “patron” and a “blessing” that “encourages