Thomas Paine: The Rights of Man for Society and Civilisation

The Rights of Man by Thomas Paine

Applying Principle to Practice, Chapter I — Of Society and Civilisation

This is an excerpt from The Rights of Man Chapter 1. It is interesting as it comments on the abolishment of government. What is interesting about this paragraph is that in Egypt when there was protesting on the streets of Cairo, there were comments on how the people naturally started to take over the role of police and direct traffic in a peaceful and orderly way. We are often told that chaos would break out without government. This is what Thomas Paine stated about the abolishment of government …

“For upwards of two years from the commencement of the American War, and to a longer period in several of the American States, there were no established forms of government. The old governments had been abolished, and the country was too much occupied in defence to employ its attention in establishing new governments; yet during this interval order and harmony were preserved as inviolate as in any country in Europe. There is a natural aptness in man, and more so in society, because it embraces a greater variety of abilities and resource, to accommodate itself to whatever situation it is in. The instant formal government is abolished, society begins to act: a general association takes place, and common interest produces common security.”