The Rights of Man

Thomas Paine wrote the first part of The Rights of Man in 1791 as a response to the furious attack on the French Revolution by the British parliamentarian Edmund Burke in his pamphlet Reflections on the Revolution in France, published the previous year. Paine carefully dissects and counters Burke's arguments and provides a more accurate description of the events surrounding the revolution of 1789. He then reproduces and comments on the "Declaration of the Rights of Man and of Citizens" promulgated by the National Assembly of France. A second part of the book, subtitled "Combining Principle and Practice," was published in February 1792. It puts forward practical proposals for the establishment of republican government in countries like Britain. The Rights of Man had a major impact, leading to the establishment of a number of reform societies. Today The Rights of Man is considered a classic of political writing and philosophy.