ABSTRACT
The French Revolution inspired Rights of Man, which contains a principled, grounded defense of the movement against its critics, particularly Irish philosopher and orator Edmund Burke. Paine arrived at the Rights of Man's key concepts via three avenues. He reflected on his experiences in revolutionary America, analyzed the French Revolution, and formulated a critical account of contemporary British society. The ideas advanced in Common Sense provided plenty of raw materials for Paine's masterpiece. The same recognizable writing style also forms another key element to both works: accessible to the common reader and connected to the goals of emancipation. The French Revolution inspired Rights of Man, which contains a principled, grounded defense of the movement against its critics. Paine's work is defined by his commitment to the notion that human beings hold natural rights that cannot be curtailed or undermined—neither by society, nor government. Indeed these rights, Paine argues, work to regulate a government's actions.
