In Common Sense, Thomas Paine says that “...in America, LAW IS KING”(34). He brings this up in a paragraph talking about monarchy, the role of real kings in absolute governments, how free governments have to have a King and the law plays that role. What Paine means when he says that “LAW IS KING” is that most countries at this time had kings and queens that rules them, but the law takes place of these kings and queens in America. Thomas Paine says that “LAW IS KING” because it gives Americans something to equate the power of the law to, since america was one of the the first free countries.
Thomas Paine says that Law is King because the idea of a country being run by ideas was almost unheard of. Most countries had real people, like a king, …show more content…
Paine understood that if he wanted the average american to understand the importance of the law, he would have to equate it to what they are used to, which would be kings. The whole process that Paine used to write common sense was really different from our regular readings. Paine was writing a pamphlet for the masses to explain these “radical” american ideas of freedom and liberty. He was trying to show America and the rest of the world that america did not need a King to succeed and that this notion that the only type of functional government is an absolute monarchy is false. What Paine is doing in Common Sense is trying to change people’s perceptions about facts that they think are “Common Sense”. He is trying to change the pre-existing common knowledge by saying things like “LAW IS KING” and “A Government is our own natural right”(34), and many others. He is challenging the traditional way most people in western civilization were brought up in pretty digestible terms. He is showing the American people that they can have a government with laws that they have a say in and those same laws are king. So many people back then thought that absolute monarchy was the only way to have a successful country run, but Thomas Paine is showing them that that is untrue by telling them that “LAW IS
Thomas Paine says that Law is King because the idea of a country being run by ideas was almost unheard of. Most countries had real people, like a king, …show more content…
Paine understood that if he wanted the average american to understand the importance of the law, he would have to equate it to what they are used to, which would be kings. The whole process that Paine used to write common sense was really different from our regular readings. Paine was writing a pamphlet for the masses to explain these “radical” american ideas of freedom and liberty. He was trying to show America and the rest of the world that america did not need a King to succeed and that this notion that the only type of functional government is an absolute monarchy is false. What Paine is doing in Common Sense is trying to change people’s perceptions about facts that they think are “Common Sense”. He is trying to change the pre-existing common knowledge by saying things like “LAW IS KING” and “A Government is our own natural right”(34), and many others. He is challenging the traditional way most people in western civilization were brought up in pretty digestible terms. He is showing the American people that they can have a government with laws that they have a say in and those same laws are king. So many people back then thought that absolute monarchy was the only way to have a successful country run, but Thomas Paine is showing them that that is untrue by telling them that “LAW IS