The Rights of Man - A Revolutionary Defense of Liberty, Equality, and Representative Government

One of the most powerful and influential defenses of individual liberty and democratic government ever written, The Rights of Man remains a defining work of political philosophy. Written in response to Edmund Burke's criticism of the French Revolution, Thomas Paine rejects hereditary monarchy and aristocratic privilege while arguing that legitimate government must arise from the will and consent of the people.

Published in two parts in 1791 and 1792, Paine's work moves beyond a defense of re...