佩因(1737～1809年)

Paine, Thomas

出生於英国的美国政治哲学家。早年在英国不得志，後来与富兰克林相识，他建议佩因移民到美国。1774年抵达费城，协助编辑《宾夕法尼亚杂志》。1776年1月出版了五十页的小册子《常识》，五十多万册很快被抢购一空，书中极力倡导争取独立的思想，这在很大程度上加速了英国殖民统治的瓦解。在美国革命期间，他志愿担任格林将军的助手，并在1776至1783年间编写了十六期《危机》报纸，每期都注有「常识」标志。第一期以「考验人们意志的时刻到了」作为开头，华盛顿下令对福吉谷的士兵宣读这篇文章，以鼓舞士气。佩因於1787年回到英格兰旅游，并在那里卷入了有关法国大革命的辩论。他在《人的权利》一书中为法国大革命辩护，并宣扬共和主义。该书被视为对君主制的攻击而被禁，佩因在英格兰也被视为非法分子。之後他来到法国，并当选为国民公会成员（1792～1793）。後因谴责恐怖统治，而被罗伯斯比尔监禁（1793～1794）。被释放之後，他留在巴黎，并撰写了《理性的时代》（1794、1796），这是一部抨击宗教组织的自然神论着作。1802年返美，人们由於他的自然神论着作而谴责他，却很少记起他在革命期间的贡献，最後死於贫困。

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.