Essay Questions

Explicate the significance of Biblical allusion in ‘Rights of Man.’

Thomas Paine writes, “The mosaic account of the creation, whether taken as divine authority, or merely historical, is full to this point, the unity or equality of man. The expressions admit of no controversy. ‘And God said, Let us make man in our own image. In the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.’ The distinction of sexes is pointed out, but no other distinction is even implied. If this be not divine authority; it is at least historical authority, and show the equality of man, so far from being a modern doctrine, is the oldest upon record.” The Biblical allusion accentuates the inherent equivalence among all men. Through the pertinent allusion, Thomas Paine constructs his ideology on the indispensability of inherent rights for all human beings notwithstanding their genders.

How does the French constitution endorse equity?

Thomas Paine writes, “The French constitution says, that the number of representatives for any place shall be in a ratio to the number of taxable inhabitants or electors.” The constitution employs the proportionate structure to guarantee that all the taxpayers will be represented satisfactorily and impartially.

Summarize Thomas Paine primary ideology in ‘Rights of Man.’

Thomas Paine’s ultimate ideology is to stress on the quintessence and indispensability of inborn human rights: “ I am contending for the rights of the living, and against their being willed away, and controlled and contracted for, by the manuscript assumed authority of the dead; and Mr. Burke is contending for the authority of the dead over the rights and freedom of the living.” Thomas Paine illustrates his ideology by rebutting Mr. Burke’s manuscript which stresses that the deceased are persuasive in shaping the living’s rights. The refutation exposes the faults in Mr. Burke’s manuscript which underscores that living do should not relish any rights.