Common Sense is Thomas Paine's personal opinion on the English government. He used the Bible to justify his opinion. This seemed to work because the people of that time were very religious. Thomas Paine had a real problem with countries that had governments that involved hereditary succession or monarchies. Thomas Paine did not favor kings or monarchies because he felt that the only person or being that should rule over people should be God. He felt that if mere man were meant to be ruler over other men then God would have made it that way and he would not be upset or jealous if men worshipped other men instead of Him. Paine supports his thesis by giving examples from the Bible. One example that Paine gives is about Samuel and his sons. Samuel's sons wanted a king to rule over them and the people like that of other nations. Samuel prayed to God and He told Samuel that the people had rejected Him by wanting a king to rule them and told Samuel to tell they people that they will be greatly punished for doing so. By giving this example Thomas Paine is showing that monarchies are against the will of God. Paine also felt that hereditary succession was also against the will of God. He felt that "for all men being originally equals, no one by birth could have a right to set up his own family and though himself might deserve some decent degree of honors yet his descendants might be far too unworthy to inherit them." One really can't say if Thomas Paine was fair or no because everyone has their on opinion right?.
Paine discusses the notions of monarchy and hereditary succession. ... Paine believes that monarchy originates from sin. Paine says that hereditary succession is an abominable practice. ... Hereditary succession had brought an uncountable amount of evils. ... All of these flaws that Paine makes on monarchy and hereditary succession are all logical and backed up with good information. ...
According to Pain the fact that these two position are hereditary this already takes away power from the people and isn't constitutional. ... Another evil of the monarchy Paine says is its hereditary nature of succession. ... Paine states that the thrown of England has also been plagued by wars of successions which split the country in two. ... Monarchy in the scripture is ranked as one of the sins of the Jews. ... He showed them that the king and his monarchy was both politically and morally wrong....
Paine discusses how the Parliament is set up as a representation of the people, but what good is representation in a monarchy? ... Such a power could not be the gift of a wise people, neither can any power, which needs checking, be from God; yet the provision, which the constitution makes, supposes such a power to exist." (70) Hereditary succession, as approved by the British constitution, is one of the greater evils of the British government. Through hereditary succession, kings and lords of inferior intelligence and moral standing can assume positions that they are in no way qualified for. ...
To worsen the situation of the King, Paine also discusses the existence of heredity succession in a monarchy. "To the evil of monarchy we have added that of hereditary succession; and as the first is a degradation and lessening of ourselves, so the second, claimed as a matter of right, is an insult and an imposition on posterity- (13). ... The King succession rule distances the colonies each time it is implemented because the colonies are that much more forgotten. ... He believed monarchy to be absolutely incompatible with individual liberty. ... Paine is disgusted with a monarchy, and v...
Rulers began to revive confidence in themselves and their polities through the establishment of dynasties: the hereditary ruling family that passed power from one generation to the next (Webster's). ... The second stage was the establishment of clear rules in regards to the succession to the throne. ... Consequently, a conflict of religious beliefs caused the eastern trade routes to the West Indies and China to be cut off to the monarchies of Western Christendom. The monarchies of Europe would struggle in the trade industry for decades. ... And as a result of conquest the monarchies of Eu...
(2) Hereditary right is indefeasible. The succession to monarchy is regulated by the law of primogeniture. ... So long as the heir lives, he is king by hereditary right, even though the usurping dynasty has reigned for a thousand years... Monarchy is pure, the sovereignty being entirely vested in the king, whose power is incapable of legal limitation. ... A mixed or limited monarchy is a contradiction in terms...
It was also found that the leader was hereditary, and had the authority to perform rites between living and deceased as well as between rulers and their divine ancestors (Hall, 1989). ... The Japanese way of life and thinking intertwined itself along with Shintoism, and the parallel survival of the Japanese monarchy and Shinto is no coincidence. ...
Paine used his analogy to attack the British system of government adding that it's too complex hindering finding solutions for any problem, also monarchy was spoiled with excessive power and an absurd system of checks and balances. ... Paine adds that mankind was created by god to be equal and the idea of a king and common people is unnatural, hereditary succession adds to the problem because power and ruling right is given sometimes to people who are corrupt and incompetent. ...
He transformed the Roman Empire from a republic into a monarchy. ... The senate chose Nerva as the new Emperor and he established a plan that provided the empire with a succession of good rulers. ... The five good emperors were the ancient Roman imperial succession of Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, and Marcus Aurelius. ... He increased the size of the bureaucracy and army, established price controls, raised taxes, and made occupations hereditary. ...
