«Reason and Ignorance, the opposites of each others, influence the great bulk of mankind. If either of those can be rendered sufficiently extensive in a country, the machinery of Government goes easily on. Reason obeys itself; and Ignorance submits to whatever is dictated to it.
The modes of Government which prevail in the world, are, first, Government by election and representation; secondly, Government by hereditary succession. The former is generally known by the name of republic; the latter by that of monarchy and aristocracy.
Those two distinct and opposite forms, erects themselves on the two distinct and opposite bases of Reason and Ignorance. – As the exercise of Government requires talents and abilities, and as talents and abilities cannot have hereditary descent, it is evident that hereditary succession requires a belief from man, to wich his reason cannot subscribe, and wich can only be established upon his ignorance; and the more ignorant any country is, te better it is fitted for this species of Government.
Those two distinct and opposite forms, erects themselves on the two distinct and opposite bases of Reason and Ignorance. – As the exercise of Government requires talents and abilities, and as talents and abilities cannot have hereditary descent, it is evident that hereditary succession requires a belief from man, to wich his reason cannot subscribe, and wich can only be established upon his ignorance; and the more ignorant any country is, te better it is fitted for this species of Government.
On the contrary, Government in a well-constituted republic, requires no belief from man beyond what his reason can give. He sees the rationale of the whole system, its origin and its operation; and as it is best supported when best understood, the human faculties act with boldness, and acquire, under this form of Government, a gigantic manliness.»
Thomas Paine, The Rights of Man (New York: Dover Publ., 1999) 89.
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