Thomas Paine and the Idea of Mixing Politics and Religion - Case Study Example

 Born in England in the month of January in 1737, Thomas Paine’s education career only took him up to when he was thirteen years old. At the said age, he thus began to work for his father and later was able to secure a low –paying job in the tax collecting sector; and using the money to further his education as presented by Collin (117). Several years later, he was dismissed on grounds of publishing an article in which case he had argued that corruption would be best reduced through increasing salaries of tax collectors. By the year 1774, he moved to America just before the onset of the famous Revolutionary War in 1775; in April 19th. He immediately involved himself in the country’s political life; whereby he wrote a couple of magazines, in addition to his task of editing the Pennsylvania Magazine. Upon the completion of the first battle during this war, he became very vocal by presenting his argument that it was time for all the American colonists to seek total independence and not merely using fighting as the feasible means to free them from the oppressive British taxation system as put forward by Paine and Isaac (58). Against this backdrop, Thomas Paine made this argument through his pamphlet titled Common sense; which appeared for the first time in the year 1776. The said pamphlet became widely read in almost all the parts of the entire country. It is imperative to note that his ideas were very instrumental in drawing considerable public opinion. To add to that, they provided the much needed impetus to the nation’s Independence Declaration that was written after six months. That this pamphlet helped to catapult him into national limelight is a fact as evidenced by his appointment by the government during this war. According to Vincent (96), the American Independence war has its roots to as early as during the Indian and French war in 1763. Despite the fact that it was British who won this war, it was evident that they had indeed incurred considerable costs. Consequently, they opted to increase their monetary burden on these American colonies as stated by Collin (329). As a result, the Townshend Acts in the year 1767 imposed new taxes on all these American colonies through the Parliament. As noted by Collin (349), though these Acts were eventually repealed three years later, this did not change the status quo on tax on tea. Later on in the year 1773 during the famous Boston Tea Party, Americans stormed one of the ships belonging to British India Company. The events of this move culminated to the Americans dumping considerable tea volumes into the Boston Harbor; a move that is largely attributed to colonial frustration. As it was expected, the British Parliament, as a means of retaliation, moved swiftly to impose a range of restrictions as a way of reasserting their dominion over these American colonies. To the Americans, these new measures were perceived as to being intolerable acts upon which they could not subscribe to. To this effect, a first continental congress was convened in the year 1774. However, Countryman (116) notes that despite the fact that this congress provided a centralized forum to all the American colonies to exhaustively brainstorm on policy issues, it was evident that they did not have a clear path ahead of them. Even after the onset of this battle in 1775 on April, at Concord and Lexington, these American colonies still had no clear plan. This is attributed to the idea that there were varied opinions concerning the purpose of the aforementioned war with Britain in relation to future prospects of the colonies. It is noteworthy that a large cross-section of the delegates at the congress was opposing this idea of the war in the first place. In this regard, they were not convinced with the idea that total independence was the only feasible means of ensuring tranquility in the American colonies. Hence, it was these developments that provided an impetus to Thomas Paine’s publication of Common sense during this time of the war. In this publication, Paine argued that it was perhaps time for the American colonies to seek complete independence from the British system of rule. According to Countryman (108), this pamphlet served to convince a lot of people who were skeptical about the purpose of this war. Furthermore, it was very instrumental in influencing opinions of both lawmakers and laymen within America. In this way, it was vital in terms of acting as a turning point of the American sentiments against Britain. Also, it was one of the primary factors which influenced the American colonies’ decision of engaging in this battle to secure autonomy through complete independence according to Collin (486). Elements and Themes of Common Sense One of the elements that are brought to the fore by Thomas Paine in this pamphlet is about hereditary and monarchy succession. Based on this standpoint, he notes that originally man was in an equality state which in turn implies that the present-day inequalities should have originated from certain circumstances. In this regard, he holds the view that any common difference which does not have any religious or natural backing is that between the subjects and their kings. In particular, this distinction, as opposed to that which exists between the female and male or evil and good; does not have the heaven connotation. He therefore wishes to investigate the origin of the said distinction as well as its repercussions. From the onset, Thomas states that the world had no Kings. In this way, this idea must have been given to the by the heathens to the Jews since they were living around them. According to Collin (431), Paine noted that it was a grave mistake. Therefore he maintains that through this act of establishing a king, these Jews had sinned. Paine’s argument is that man is only meant to have God as the sole ruler over him and thus the introduction of another ruler in the form of a king amounts to such King being God; which is a serious misdeed. Thomas Paine eventually tells us that indeed the Jews community asked its prophet Samuel to give them a king. Despite Samuel’s attempts to dissuade them against this idea, the Jews insisted on having a King just as the other nations in which case God assented; although he saw it as being evil since these people were adamant on having someone rule over them instead of God. Bearing in mind the biblical basis of monarchy, he goes ahead to assert that it was a practice which actually began in sinfulness. This is particularly evidenced in the several scriptures which make it explicit that God is opposed to the idea of monarchy. Against this backdrop, Paine then moves to challenge this notion of hereditary succession within a monarchy as argued by Burk (327). Hence, he argues that owing to the fact that all men are usually born equal, it is not in order for one man to have the exclusive right of establishing his family to preside over the other families forever. Furthermore, he argues that even in the event that such an individual truly deserves some honors, it is not automatic that his children to deserve them. At the same time, the person in question has no right of passing these honors onto the children. He also goes ahead to observe that even the recent majority of England’s Kings have been bad ever since time immemorial. To him, this is clear indication to those who are in support of this idea of hereditary succession that this line of Kings does not operate on legitimate power. Upon wondering where Kings usually get their powers from, he notes that such power can only come from any of these three things namely; random selection, elections and usurpation. With respect to the use of election as a means of choosing such King, Paine argues that it should be used as the means of choosing all the other Kings as well. Therefore, in the event that any King uses usurpation to get to the throne, then this reign should be deemed as to being illegitimate. Of importance to note is the fact that Thomas holds the view that hereditary succession has no validity at all. This is based on his standpoint that the said succession usually carries associated evils to the wider society. For instance he observes that persons who perceive themselves as having been in an elite type of existence are unfit and ignorant. Conclusively, he vehemently refutes the much held theory that this type of succession can reduce civil wars. According to Collin (513), this is evidenced by the numerous rebellions and civil wars in the history of Britain. At this point, Paine authoritatively concludes that hereditary succession and monarchy have had no significance to this world other than bloodshed and bad governance. To the present-day reader, Paine’s presentation of a series of evidence from the bible might appear to be very irrelevant. However, it can be noted that during his views were shaped by the bible during this time. Hence, it was widely believed that the Kings’ rule was divine and therefore any rebellion against them was indeed against God. He therefore attempts to undercut this line of thought by presenting a range of biblical passages which were against this idea of divine appointments in the monarchy system of rule. To justify this ideology, he presents several evidences from the Bible as proof that monarchy is neither a preferable or natural institution. Though he was raised as a Quaker, it is noteworthy that his beliefs in politics were secular. In addition, Thomas Paine was against the idea of mixing politics and religion. This is best captured in the second appendix this publication in which case he responds to Quakers. At the same time, he was very conscious of the Bible’s role in the minds of the contemporaries during his time; an aspect that made him to decide to end arguments within this section. Liell (187) notes that his arguments in opposition to the idea of hereditary succession are based on false dilemma logic. For instance, he tells the reader that the first King was chosen either through election, by lot or usurpation. In this regards, he ignores deliberately the idea that it was possible for such a King to have been appointed divinely; an ideology that majority of his contemporaries would have no problems with subscribing to. One of the themes that are captured in common sense by Paine is in terms of the government being a necessary evil. From the beginning, Paine voices his thoughts explicitly of his opposition towards the government. To him, the government is founded on the sole value of restraining man’s voices. Therefore, he holds the idea that man was destined to live in a system without the government; and that the only justification for its existence is when it serves to alleviate man’s problems that have been brought about by the anarchic and natural way of life. Therefore, the government should be blamed for its failure to improve the society according to Burk (682). The second theme is related to monarchy generated problems. Thomas Paine spends a considerable part voicing his sentiments against the monarchy; both in terms of its manifestation within Britain as well as an institution. This attack is primarily based on biblical terms whereby he argues that the origin of monarchy is sin and hence goes a head to present problems with this British monarchy. This attack is especially centered on the idea of hereditary succession as well as the several grievances against the King. According to Fisher (273) state of nature, the unavoidability of America’s independence and British oppression; and America’s relationships with the larger Europe are the other themes which have been captured in common sense by Thomas Paine. Works Cited Burk, Kathleen. Old World, New World: Great Britain and America from the Beginning. Boston: Atlantic Monthly Press, 2008. Collin, Joseph. The American Past: A Survey of American History.8th Ed. New York: Cengage Learning, 2008. Countryman, Edward. The American Revolution. Washington, D.C: Hill and Wang, 2003. Fisher, Hackett David. Liberty and freedom. Oxford University Press US, 2005. Liell, Scott. 46 Pages: Thomas Paine, Common Sense, and the Turning Point to American Independence. Philadelphia: Running Press, 2004. Paine, Thomas and Isaac, K. Common sense. New York: Penguin Classics, 1986. Vincent, Bernard. The transatlantic republican: Thomas Paine and the age of revolutions. Amsterdam: Rodopi, 2005. Read More