Common Sense, Part I

Thomas Paine

Before the Revolutionary War, a man named Thomas Paine wrote a radical book entitled Common Sense that sparked the drive and will of the colonies to band together and consider a revolution. When I first read this I was amazed about the level of truth, and yes, the “common sense” that is derived from it. I have decided to blog about different sections of this work each week. I feel this political work should never be forgotten in the minds of America. This book is essentially its heart.

“Here then is the origin and rise of government; namely, a mode rendered necessary by the inability of moral virtue to govern the world; here too is the design and end of government, viz. Freedom and security. And however our eyes may be dazzled with show, or our ears deceived by sound; however prejudice may warp our wills, or interest darken our understanding, the simple voice of nature and reason will say, ’tis right.” ~Thomas Paine

This first line essentially sums up Thomas Paine’s philosophy on government. He says earlier that government is a nescessary evil, but I think that this latest line is a good way to shape the idea. Man is incapable to live harmoniously because of his lack of moral virtue. Government is a creation to ensure the vice’s of men be supressed, controlled, and contained. He makes the case earlier, that there is no other reason to have government. That if society and man were able to live together in peace, then government would be of little value. This concept was popular during this time (no wonder his book was a national best seller and sparked action among the colonies), but today we seem to have lost this concept. Or maybe instead of losing the concept, we have twisted it to a more positive point of view. We don’t want to think that government is a result of our evil, but rather a system to help those who can’t help themselves, etc.

The second line is rather interesting. It would seem he is indicating that the design and end of government is the wanting of Freedom and Security, but their inability to co-exist which ultimately leads to tyranny (such as what happened to England). This is reminscent to the later works by men such as George Orwell. The more we push “security” the further our freedom’s will be infringed. It is clear that Thomas Paine (like many Lockean philosophes of the time) was for a hardcore Laissez Faire society.

I believe it is this last part that makes my heart rejoice in gladness and praise. In fact, I will quote it again, “And however our eyes may be dazzled with show, or our ears deceived by sound; however prejudice may warp our wills, or interest darken our understanding, the simple voice of nature and reason will say, ’tis right.”  He lists several things here that are extremely relevent to today. Too often are all of those things prevalent in the hearts and minds of voters, of the American people, of the masses and too often do politcians use techniques to lure them to their fold. I think it is important to heed Paine’s warning here. It is very easy to be decieved and want to hear what we want to hear, while ignoring basic reason and common sense. It is so easy to buy into great sounding words, awesome promises, and eloquence that resounds to the mountain tops, but Paine reminds us that the simple voice of nature is whispering to us to come back to reason, to come back why government is on earth in the first place. I personally enjoy the last argument he uses. It is such a deontological, Kantian approach. That reason and nature will resound in voice saying, “tis right”. This concept is most definitely lost in our society. Post-modernism has rejected such philosophical theories of absolute or universal agreement on certain things, but I think deep down Paine, like Kant, like Locke are on to something. They see past all the lies that we tell ourselves, all the lies that the wolves feed us, and they respond in kind – “Tis Right”.

Tis right that government is a nescessary evil. Tis right that man needs such a mode to control it’s lack of moral virtue.

Posted by Alcamadus

Apriori Knowledge

The classic battle between apriori and aposteriori knowledge has been ongoing for centuries, and it would seem that no one could actually prove either’s point because of lack of evidence and proof, but more theory.

Just recently a group of scientists studied Indigenous Australian groups of children that can count without any kind of numerical system since it isn’t in their language. They can even do this with high accuracy. This helps the case that human’s have an innate system built in their mind at birth. In other words, we are not “tabula rasa” as John Locke so famously coined.

If this is true, what else have our minds been equipped with at birth?

Article:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080818/ap_on_re_us/sci_counting_without_numbers;_ylt=Aobbd9DUJ50peqhWTARiWTQPLBIF

Posted by Alcamadus