Title Thomas Paine and the idea of human rights / Robert Lamb

Published Cambridge, UK : Cambridge University Press, 2015

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Description 1 online resource Contents Introduction -- 1. Paine as political philosopher: interpretation and understanding -- 2. Political obligation, human rights and the moral universe -- 3. Rights of democratic inclusion and the virtues of citizenship -- 4. Private property, the natural inheritance and rights to welfare -- 5. Cosmopolitanism and the rights of nations -- 6. Religion, creation and liberalism -- Conclusion Summary "Thomas Paine is a legendary Anglo-American political icon: a passionate, plain-speaking, relentlessly controversial, revolutionary campaigner, whose writings captured the zeitgeist of the two most significant political events of the eighteenth century, the American and French Revolutions. Though widely acknowledged by historians as one of the most important and influential pamphleteers, rhetoricians, polemicists and political actors of his age, the philosophical content of his writing has nevertheless been almost entirely ignored. This book takes Paine's political philosophy seriously. It explores his views concerning a number of perennial issues in modern political thought including the grounds for, and limits to, political obligation; the nature of representative democracy; the justification for private property ownership; international relations; and the relationship between secular liberalism and religion. It shows that Paine offers a historically and philosophically distinct account of liberalism and a theory of human rights that is a progenitor of our own"-- Provided by publisher "Thomas Paine is an Anglo-American political icon: a brandy-swilling, swashbuckling, straight-talking, revolutionary campaigner, whose writings - more than those of any other - captured the zeitgeist of the two most significant political events of the eighteenth century: the American and French revolutions. Widely acknowledged by historians as the most important pamphleteer, polemicist and political activist of his age, his writing has nevertheless suffered remarkable neglect from political theorists and philosophers. Indeed, despite having been the subject of much valuable scholarly attention throughout the twentieth century, there has been relatively little interest expressed in Paine that has not been either of a purely historical or biographical nature. He is rarely thought to have advanced any intrinsically interesting or original viewpoints about politics; nor is he often included in the lists of great modern texts that students of political philosophy are required to read during their studies. His uniqueness as a writer is thought to be found not in the substance of his theoretical reflections, but to lie instead in the provocative manner he adopted and demotic language he used, as well as in the political action that his works inspired an"-- Provided by publisher Bibliography Includes bibliographical references and index Notes Print version record Subject Paine, Thomas, 1737-1809. SUBJECT Paine, Thomas, 1737-1809 fast Subject Human rights -- Philosophy Political science -- Philosophy -- History -- 18th century POLITICAL SCIENCE -- Political Freedom & Security -- Civil Rights. POLITICAL SCIENCE -- Political Freedom & Security -- Human Rights. Human rights -- Philosophy Political science -- Philosophy Genre/Form History Form Electronic book ISBN 9781316321041 1316321045 9781316227084 1316227081

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