~ 1791 ~
Rights of Man by Thomas Paine is a book that argues that when a government fails to safeguard its people's natural rights, popular political revolution becomes permissible. The book defends the French Revolution against the counter-revolutionary attack in Reflections on the Revolution in France, stating that human rights originate in nature and are inherent in all inhabitants. Paine advocates for the eradication of hereditary government and titles and suggests practical reformations of the English government. He proposes detailed social welfare predicated upon the redirection of government expenditures, emphasizes education for the youth population, and considers care for the elderly population paramount to his welfare plan. The book became widely popular, selling one million copies.