Common Sense

Common Sense (July 29, 2011)
I Intro Origin and Design of Government

1. Govt badge of lost innocence a lesser evil
2. Inability of moral virtue to govern the world
3. simplicity -when practiced events are less liable to disorder
4. necessity for inter cooperation creates a scoiety
5. after emigrtion and formation of such a society defects of moral virtue gradually appear
6. distance   c/n meet on every occasion--republicanism becomes a force
7. alarm threat of tyranny woven into Eng constitution due to its complexity

• 2 ancient tyrannies born of natl pride vs reason   Monarchy and peers
• lessons of execution of Charles I   kings more subtle not more just 

18:46101 - Introduction/Of The Origin And Design Of Government In General, With Concise Remarks On The English Constitution20:30202 - Of Monarchy And Hereditary Succession42:15303 - Thoughts On The Present State Of American Affairs27:33404 - Of The Present Ability Of America, With Some Miscellaneous Reflections36:25505 - Appendixsomething has gone horribly wrong 8-p

✩ Prefer flash? · Embed · Questions/Feedback? ✩ LibriVox recording of Common Sense, by Thomas Paine.
http://librivox.org/common-sense-by-thomas-paine-2/


Read by Bob Neufeld.







Thomas Paine has a claim to the title The Father of the American Revolution because of Common Sense, the pro-independence monograph pamphlet he anonymously published on January 10, 1776; signed "Written by an Englishman", the pamphlet became an immediate success. It quickly spread among the literate, and, in three months, 100,000 copies (estimated 500,000 total including pirated editions sold during the course of the Revolution) sold throughout the American British colonies (with only two million free inhabitants), making it the best-selling book ever. Paine's original title for the pamphlet was Plain Truth; Paine's friend, pro-independence advocate Benjamin Rush, suggested Common Sense instead.



The pamphlet appeared in January 1776, after the Revolution had started. It was passed around, and often read aloud in taverns, contributing significantly to spreading the idea of republicanism, bolstering enthusiasm for separation from Britain, and encouraging recruitment for the Continental Army. Paine provided a new and convincing argument for independence by advocating a complete break with history. Common Sense is oriented to the future in a way that compels the reader to make an immediate choice. It offers a solution for Americans disgusted and alarmed at the threat of tyranny. (Introduction by Wikipedia)





For further information, including links to online text, reader information, RSS feeds, CD cover or other formats (if available), please go to the LibriVox catalog page for this recording.







For more free audio books or to become a volunteer reader, visit LibriVox.org.