A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong gives it a superficial appearance of being right.
Thomas PaineRead
Some writers have so confounded society with government, as to leave little or no distinction between them; whereas they are not only different, but have different origins ... Society is in every state a blessing, but Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Thomas Paine distinguishes between society and government, arguing that while society is beneficial, government is a necessary evil.
In this quote, Thomas Paine emphasizes the distinction between society and government, suggesting that society represents a natural and positive aspect of human interaction, while government is a construct created to manage human conduct, often born out of necessity due to societal flaws. Paine argues that society, formed through social bonds and collaboration, should be viewed as a blessing, whereas government, with its potential for abuse and control, can become an intolerable burden when not checked by the values of society.
Themes
SocietyGovernmentDistinctionBlessingEvil
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion on political philosophy, one might quote this to emphasize the difference between a free society and excessive government control.
More from Thomas Paine
All quotes →That God cannot lie, is no advantage to your argument, because it is no proof that priests can not, or that the Bible does not.
Thomas PaineRead
I consider the war of America against Britain as the country's war, the public's war, or the war of the people in their own behalf, for the security of their natural rights, and the protection of their own property.
Thomas PaineRead
Had the news of salvation by Jesus Christ been inscribed on the face of the sun and the moon, in characters that all nations would have understood, the whole earth had known it in twenty-four hours, and all nations would have believed it; whereas, though it is now almost two thousand years since, as they tell us, Christ came upon earth, not a twentieth part of the people of the earth know anything of it, and among those who do, the wiser part do not believe it.
Thomas PaineRead
The end of all political associations is the preservation of the natural and imprescriptible rights of man; and these rights are liberty, property, security, and resistance of oppression.
Thomas PaineRead
To reason with goverments, as they have existed for ages, is to argue with brutes. It is only from the nations themselves that reforms can be expected
Thomas PaineRead
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