Now that you have listened to the first chapter of Common Sense, what do you think of Paine's philosophy? Particularly, what do think about how he views the government? Do you think he is right or wrong, and why?
Government has its origins in the evil of man and is therefore a necessary evil at best. Paine says that government's sole purpose is to protect life, liberty and property, and that a government should be judged solely on the basis of the extent to which it accomplishes this goal.
