Edmund Burke The Great Debate

In his characterization, Thomas Paine was correct in envisioning a diverse American, one that he describes as “people from different nations, accustomed to different forms and habits of government, speaking different languages, and more different in their modes of worship.” People are constantly immigrating to America which contributes to the diverse environment. The immigrants bring their different backgrounds and qualities, however, those traits are not always welcomed resulting in issues like discrimination and social divides. Contrary to Paine’s beliefs, eliminating divides is not as simple as “constructing a government on the principles of society and the rights of man.” While the government does put effort into diminishing the divide among people, the difficulties still remain and there is very little “cordial union.” Today, over 225 years since Thomas Paine

The identity of a society is verified through the rights which are given to the citizens. The rights of man have been at many different standards throughout time. Often being very one sided, and at times striving for a median between the two sides. In Edmund Burke's essay Reflections on the Revolution in France Burke states that a king is in one sense a servant but in everyday situations they are above every individual. All persons under him owe him a legal agreement to serve his hopes. This essay will demonstrate why Thomas Paine's essay The Rights of Man is more convincing than Edmund Burke's through examination of a heredity government, the nature of rights and the uselessness of the monarchy.

Thomas Paine’s characterization of America from his book, Rights of Man, does not completely hold true in today’s American society. His description of social class relationships as well as just government is currently not a reality for Americans. However, his description of diversity is something that we do have in America today.

The second contrasting point is that Paine believed in the total reform of society and Burke believed that things were fine just the way they were. Paine thought that if people wanted something to change, they could get it done. He wrote in his book Rights of Man that “revolutions were necessary to destroy this "barbarous system" in order to create the conditions for peace, commerce, lower taxes, and the "enjoyment of abundance.” He was referring to the American and French revolutions to get rid of the monarchy hold on them. Burke believed that wisdom of the past generations should rule current generations. He believed that everything set up by the past should not be reckoned with. He thought that laws, religious commandments, scriptures, and general ways of living were perfect just the way they were. Paine attacked this theory once again in his book Rights of Man by stating, “Governing from dead generations is the most ridiculous and insolent of all tyrannies.” Paine continuously attacked everything that Burke supported. These two men disliked each other very much. They continued to spread their theories though.

Thomas Paine retorts in an excerpt from "Rights of Man" with an argument that can be boiled down to this line: “It is the living, and not the dead, that are to be accommodated.” He argues that the current generation needs to be in control of their society, and not under the control of a society formed by the past generation, most of which is dead. He says, “The vanity and presumption of governing beyond the grave, is the most ridiculous and insolent of all tyrannies. Man has no property in any man; neither has any generation a property in the generations which are to follow.” He attacks Burke’s motive, saying Burke never believed there would even be a revolution because the French lacked the spirit and the fortitude, “but now that there is one, he seeks an escape by condemning it.”

America has been plagued with the “American Dream” since its citizens first started spreading out westward in search of wealth and fame. Along with this American ideal came the concept of being un-American and not standing for what was considered “true” American. With the emergence of Populists, Progressives and Radicals came a vast difference between what was thought as American. All groups claimed to be trying to make the US a better place however each differed vastly in their ideas of going about it. During the age of uncertainty between 1890 and the 1920’s a new movement called the Progressives emerged in parts of the Unites States. They emerged as part of a long tradition of reform aimed at correcting the issues of the country.

While some citizens of the United States, between 1825 and 1850, believed that reform was foolish and that the nation should stick to its old conduct, reformists in this time period still sought to make the United States a more ideally democratic nation. This was an age of nationalism and pride, and where there was pride in one’s country, there was the aspiration to improve one’s country even further. Many new reformist and abolitionist groups began to form, all attempting to change aspects of the United States that the respective groups thought to be unfair or unjust. Some groups, such as lower and middle class women and immigrants, sought to improve rights within the county, while other reformers aspired to change the American education

The period between Reconstruction and World War I was a time of tremendous social, economic, and cultural change in the United States. The end of the Civil War, the shrinking of the frontier, the rise of immigration, and the rapid growth of industry that characterized this time period brought many issues of race, class, and status to the forefront of politics. Many different opinions came to light about what it means to be an American and the dynamic between the American individual and American society. The differing answers to these questions created both divisions and unifications between different races, classes, and political parties. Through careful analysis of historical documents from the period, it is evident that society owes all individuals basic civil rights and the ability to make a living through harnessing their skills in the workplace. Conversely, the individual owes society work that benefits society as a whole and participation in government through suffrage.

Upon turning on the news in America, the media is not reporting stories of wholeness and community, which one would expect upon reading Thomas Paine 's passage. It instead is littered with videos of protests and fights, church shootings, riots, racist graffiti, and other hate crimes. Paine has an idealistic view of America, and while Americans have the capacity to join together (as shown following the 9/11 terrorist attacks) we also have struggled throughout history with racism, and continue to today. At the time Thomas Paine wrote his passage, America was hard set in its racist ways, and has continued its history of oppression to modern day.

Thomas Paine was an English-born American political activist and revolutionary. In 1791 he published a book titled “Rights of Man.” In this, Paine describes the natural rights of the people and what may happen if governments choose not to protect these rights. In this he states that America is a place against all odds doesn’t have oppressed poor, and that the rich are not overly privileged. Thomas Paine’s characterization of America doesn’t hold true today because the government is no longer just and that poor people are oppressed.

Throughout the course of history, Americans have changed the ways in which they derived the powers of the government from the consent of the governed, have changed their understanding of social and political practices concerning “rights”, changed “forms” of government, which have all led to a change in Americans’ “safety and happiness”.

Alan Brinkley compares three political leader from the 1933 election. Franklin D. Roosevelt, Huey Long, and Father Coughlin in “Voices of Protest.” Discussing what these men did, why they were implementing the causes they did, and how the election turned out explains not only each man’s political stance, but also the political stance of the country as well. Comparing and contrasting political leaders grants United States citizens their right to choose who they want to represent themselves and their country. This holds true in 2016, just as it did in 1933, during the election that Franklin D. Roosevelt became president after overcoming his two main opponents, Huey Long and Father Coughlin.

Prior to the progressive Movement there were many social and political conditions that existed in America. Without the progressive reform these problems would not have been solved - the most important progressive era reforms were: women’s suffrage, racism, and working conditions. While the Progressives differed in their assessment of the problems and how to resolve them, they generally shared in common the view that government at every level must be actively involved in these reforms. The existing constitutional system was outdated and must be made into a dynamic, evolving instrument of social change, aided by scientific knowledge and the development of administrative bureaucracy. The Progressives believed that these changes

History has repeatedly shown exactly how solutions can change a free society. America’s founding fathers—George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, Paul Revere, James Madison, and dozens of others—fought for a just solution, with pen and sword alike. No fear held their hearts. They did not just talk about what they wanted to do; they acted. Because of their courageous, wise actions, the United States of America lives today. Because of abolitionists like William Wilberforce, Harriet Tubman, and Abraham Lincoln, all people live freely today. Why?—because of actions,

Thomas Paine, a revolutionary, intellectual, and supporter of American independence from England published a book titled, “Rights of Man” which deals with the government shielding the natural rights of its people. Initially, the book captures the diverse aspect of this nation, but it fails to reveal the struggles that arise to preserve and adapt to such a society. Paine expresses his optimism towards the supposed perfection of American society, as one “made up...of people from different nations,” with certain expectations. Additionally, the time gap between “Rights of Man” and modern America cannot be neglected. Paine wrote during an era in which “constructing a government on the principles of society and the rights of man” was the essential objective of the country. However, modern-day America experiences opposite ideals and Paine’s theory no longer remains true because of the educational gap between the rich and poor, terrorism, and racial profiling.