稅

佩因(1737～1809年)

Paine,Thomas

出生於英國的美國政治哲學家。早年在英國不得志，後來與富蘭克林相識，他建議佩因移民到美國。1774年抵達費城，協助編輯《賓夕法尼亞雜誌》。1776年1月出版了五十頁的小冊子《常識》，五十多萬冊很快被搶購一空，書中極力倡導爭取獨立的思想，這在很大程度上加速了英國殖民統治的瓦解。在美國革命期間，他志願擔任格林將軍的助手，並在1776至1783年間編寫了十六期《危機》報紙，每期都注有「常識」標誌。第一期以「考驗人們意志的時刻到了」作為開頭，華盛頓下令對福吉谷的士兵宣讀這篇文章，以鼓舞士氣。佩因於1787年回到英格蘭旅遊，並在那裡捲入了有關法國大革命的辯論。他在《人的權利》一書中為法國大革命辯護，並宣揚共和主義。該書被視為對君主制的攻擊而被禁，佩因在英格蘭也被視為非法分子。之後他來到法國，並當選為國民公會成員（1792～1793）。後因譴責恐怖統治，而被羅伯斯比爾監禁（1793～1794）。被釋放之後，他留在巴黎，並撰寫了《理性的時代》（1794、1796），這是一部抨擊宗教組織的自然神論著作。1802年返美，人們由於他的自然神論著作而譴責他，卻很少記起他在革命期間的貢獻，最後死於貧困。

English version：

1737～1809年

Paine,Thomas

British-American political philosopher. After an early life of failed prospects in England,he met Benjamin Franklin,who advised him to emigrate to America. He arrived in Philadelphia in 1774 and helped edit the Pennsylvania Magazine. In January 1776 he wrote Common Sense,a 50-page pamphlet eloquently advocating independence; more than 500,000 copies were quickly sold,and it greatly strengthened the colonists' resolve. In the American Revolution he served as a volunteer aide to Gen. Nathanael Greene and wrote the 16 Crisis papers (1776-83),each signed “Common Sense”; the first,beginning “These are the times that try men's souls,” was read to the troops at Valley Forge on George Washington's order. Paine traveled to England in 1787 and became involved in debate over the French Revolution; his The Rights of Man (1791-92) defended the revolution and espoused republicanism; seen as an attack on the monarchy,it was banned and Paine was declared an outlaw in England. He went to France,where he was elected to the National Convention (1792-93). He criticized the Reign of Terror and was soon imprisoned by Maximilien Robespierre (1793-94). After his release,he remained in Paris and wrote The Age of Reason (1794,1796),a work on Deism and an attack on organized religion. He returned to the U.S. in 1802; criticized for his Deist writings and little remembered for his service to the Revolution,he died in poverty.