Thomas Paine: Author of the Declaration of Independence

This chapter argues that the clergy’s overall perspective on political resistance remained consistent, even as political loyalties shifted with the Declaration of Independence in 1776. John Witherspoon, the leading clergyman to publicly support independence, remained consistent in his rejection of political absolutism and his belief in the doctrine of resistance. He did not agree with the perspective of Thomas Paine and other political radicals but argued for resistance along the lines of his own theological tradition. Support for political independence, it is argued, should not be viewed as signaling a broader shift in Witherspoon’s ethical and philosophical views. He did not embrace a secular understanding of moral virtue held by philosophers like Francis Hutcheson. His moral philosophy and approach to moral questions remained consistent with his own theological tradition, and no major shift needs to be asserted in this regard.

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Thomas Paine and the declaration of Independence

Notes and Queries ◽

10.1093/nq/s10-xii.310.441 ◽

1909 ◽

Vol s10-XII (310) ◽

pp. 441-443

Author(s):

Albert Matthews

Keyword(s):

Thomas Paine ◽

Declaration Of Independence

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Achievements and Pitfalls of American Diplomacy, 1776-1980

The Review of Politics ◽

10.1017/s0034670500031454 ◽

1980 ◽

Vol 42 (2) ◽

pp. 216-248

Author(s):

Stephen D. Kertesz

Keyword(s):

Early Years ◽

Thomas Paine ◽

Political Condition ◽

Declaration Of Independence ◽

Founding Fathers ◽

The People ◽

American Experiment ◽

Permanent Revolution ◽

The Republic ◽

The Mind

Few documents have so influenced the course of history as has the American Declaration of Independence, now more than two centuries old. The Founding Fathers seem to have realized, with their usual clairvoyance, that no diplomacy can succeed without representing some intrinsic values, and the great Declaration established a moral basis for American international relations by announcing principles of universal validity. As Abraham Lincoln pointed out, “Our Declaration of Independence meant liberty not alone for the people of this country but hope for all the world for all future time. It means in due course the weight should be lifted from the shoulders of all men.” In the spirit of the Declaration of Independence no other human experience in the last two centuries has been so attractive to liberty-seeking people as the American experiment — called, not without warrant, “the permanent revolution.” In the early years of the Republic, Thomas Paine stated with prophetic vision:So deeply rooted were all the governments of the old world, and so effectually had the tyranny and the antiquity of habit established itself over the mind, that no beginning could be made in Asia, Africa, or Europe, to reform the political condition of man. Freedom had been hunted round the globe; reason was considered as rebellion; and the slavery of fear had made men afraid to think.

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George Albee: A declaration of independence for psychology

PsycEXTRA Dataset ◽

10.1037/e579712009-020 ◽

1964 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

George Albee

Keyword(s):

Declaration Of Independence

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Liberty, Property and Popular Politics

10.3366/edinburgh/9781474405676.001.0001 ◽

2016 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Keyword(s):

Eighteenth Century ◽

Intellectual History ◽

French Revolution ◽

British History ◽

Historical Study ◽

Thomas Paine ◽

Parliamentary History ◽

Long Eighteenth Century ◽

Scottish History ◽

The University

Few scholars can claim to have shaped the historical study of the long eighteenth century more profoundly than Professor H. T. Dickinson, who, until his retirement in 2006, held the Sir Richard Lodge Chair of British History at the University of Edinburgh. This volume, based on contributions from Dickinson's students, friends and colleagues from around the world, offers a range of perspectives on eighteenth-century Britain and provides a tribute to a remarkable scholarly career. Dickinson's work and career provides the ideal lens through which to take a detailed snapshot of current research in a number of areas. The book includes contributions from scholars working in intellectual history, political and parliamentary history, ecclesiastical and naval history; discussions of major themes such as Jacobitism, the French Revolution, popular radicalism and conservatism; and essays on prominent individuals in English and Scottish history, including Edmund Burke, Thomas Muir, Thomas Paine and Thomas Spence. The result is a uniquely rich and detailed collection with an impressive breadth of coverage.

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