Les écrits de Thomas Paine, volume III
- Langue:
- anglais
- État:
- Œuvre complète
- Paternité:
- Écrite par l'auteur
- État du texte:
- Texte propre
- Étendue:
- ~160 000 mots · 765 passages
Citer cette œuvre
- APAThomas Paine. (n.d.). Les écrits de Thomas Paine, volume III. SigPhi. https://sigphiai.com/fr/works/thomas-paine/the-writings-of-thomas-paine-volume-iii
- MLAThomas Paine. "Les écrits de Thomas Paine, volume III." SigPhi, https://sigphiai.com/fr/works/thomas-paine/the-writings-of-thomas-paine-volume-iii.
- ChicagoThomas Paine. Les écrits de Thomas Paine, volume III. SigPhi. https://sigphiai.com/fr/works/thomas-paine/the-writings-of-thomas-paine-volume-iii.
De quoi il s'agit
Le troisième volume des œuvres de Paine dans l'édition de Conway : les écrits des années de la Révolution française, surtout « Les Droits de l'homme ».
Contexte et histoire
« Les Droits de l'homme » est la réponse aux « Réflexions » de Burke, et les deux ouvrages sont au corpus : les lire à la suite est la meilleure manière de voir la discussion politique fondamentale de la fin du XVIIIe siècle. Paine n'argumente pas comme Burke : là où l'autre parle de tradition et de continuité, il soutient qu'aucune génération ne peut lier celles qui viennent, que les droits ne viennent pas de l'histoire mais de la condition humaine, et qu'un gouvernement qui ne repose pas sur le consentement n'est pas légitime, si ancien soit-il. La seconde partie contient des propositions concrètes très en avance sur leur temps : pensions de vieillesse, allocations pour enfants, instruction publique, financées par l'impôt progressif. Cela lui valut une accusation de sédition et l'exil.
Contexte éditorial, non une source citable : contrairement aux passages de l'œuvre, ces données ne peuvent pas être vérifiées dans le corpus.
"The serene tranquillity, the mutual confidence which prevailed amongst us, during the time of the late King's escape, the indifference with which we beheld him return, are unequivocal proofs that the absence of a King is more desirable than his presence, and that he is not only a political superfluity, but a grievous burden, pressing hard on the whole nation. "Let us not be imposed on by sophisms; all that concerns this is reduced to four points. "He has abdicated the throne in having fled from his post. Abdication and desertion are not characterized by the length of absence; but by the single act of flight. In the present instance, the act is everything, and the time nothing. "The nation can never give back its confidence to a man who, false to his trust, perjured to his oath, conspires a clandestine flight, obtains a fraudulent passport, conceals a King of France under the disguise of a valet, directs his course towards a frontier covered with traitors and deserters, and evidently meditates a return into our country, with a force capable of imposing his own despotic laws. "Should his flight be considered as his own act, or the act of those who fled with him? Was it a spontaneous resolution of his own, or was it inspired by others? The alternative is immaterial; whether fool or hypocrite, idiot or traitor, he has proved himself equally unworthy of the important functions that had been delegated to him. 1 See Introduction to this volume. This manifesto with which Paris was found placarded on July 1, 1791, is described by Dumont as a "Republican Proclamation," but what its literal caption was I have not found.--_Editor_. "In every sense in which the question can be considered, the reciprocal obligation which subsisted between us is dissolved. He holds no longer any authority. We owe him no longer obedience.…