"Rights of Man: Being an Answer to Mr. Burke's Attack on the French Revolution" by Thomas Paine
This essay was written in response to Burke's "Reflections on the Revolution in France", and was published in March 1791, two years after the birth of the French Revolution. Thomas Paine was a revolutionary who escaped to France after being charged with treason in Britain, as he was an avid proponent of American independence from Britain. Paine critiques Burke's piece for three major reasons: 1. that France does not criticize the gov't affairs of Britain, so Britain should follow the same policy of "mind your own business" 2. Burke is overly emotional/passionate in his argument, which causes him to misinterpret the reasons for the French Revolution: Burke frames the French as revolting against Kind Louis XVI, but in reality they are revolting against the institution of the monarchy and the corruption that institution perpetuates. Paine argues that every new generation should be self-determinant, and that posterity should not determine the present.
Main Point: Paine argues for self-determination over posterity and encourages the organizing of the people to determine their government.
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