Rights of Man

Answer to Mr. Burke’s Attack

Thomas Paine was a very strong supporter of the French Revolution that began in 1789; he visited France the following year. During the Revolution Controversy back in Britain, conservative intellectual Edmund Burke responded with a counter-revolutionary attack entitled Reflections on the Revolution. Paine set out to refute this work in Rights of Man. He later described his efforts as “to promote universal peace, civilization, and commerce, and to break the chains of political superstition...”

First published in 1791 (Part I) and 1792 (Part II), this edition is derived from the original books. As always, this edition is complete and unabridged.