More Quotes by Thomas Paine
Reason obeys itself; and ignorance submits to whatever is dictated to it.
When a man has so far corrupted and prostituted the chastity of his mind, as to [profess] things he does not believe, he has prepared himself for the commission of every other crime.
Arms discourage and keep the invader and plunderer in awe, and preserve order in the world as well as property... Horrid mischief would ensue were the law-abiding deprived of the use of them.
Men who look upon themselves born to reign, and others to obey, soon grow insolent; selected from the rest of mankind their minds are early poisoned by importance; and the world they act in differs so materially from the world at large, that they have but little opportunity of knowing its true interests, and when they succeed to the government are frequently the most ignorant and unfit of any throughout the dominions.
When all other rights are taken away, the right of rebellion is made perfect.
The slavery of fear had made men afraid to think.
A body of men holding themselves accountable to nobody ought not to be trusted by anybody.
He who dares not offend cannot be honest.
The trade of governing has always been monopolized by the most ignorant and the most rascally individuals of mankind.
It is not in numbers, but in unity, that our great strength lies.
