Why Thomas Paine

Thomas Paine and the 18th century Enlightenment offers insights for our global crises in the 21st century

Thomas Paine’s pivotal 1776 essay, Common Sense, swung public opinion in favor of the the American Revolution, which likely would have failed without his writings. He used logic and reason to argue for freedom from kings in favor of a democratic republic.

Common Sense shifted the course of human events. The right book at the right time. the pamphlet voiced in plain terms the big ideas of The Enlightenment, a philosophical and political movement in Europe and America.

Rejecting centuries of absolute despotism, Enlightenment writers like Locke and Rousseau and Paine mapped out the rational basis f0r freedom and democracy. Their views on natural rights and natural law inspired the American Revolution, French Revelation and most revolutions ever since around the world.

For healing our planet and maturing into sensible liberty today, we need hope, rooted in reason, giving us courage and faith for the inner and outer work of personal and global transformation. 
More than one billion global thinkers live on earth, the book documents. As climate reality bites in the years ahead, it makes global sense for people with global minds to get better organized for creating a future that works. What happens next is up to us.