Source identified
Read & copy the quotation
“Society in every state is a blessing, but government even in its best state is but a necessary evil.”
- Source
- Common Sense
- Date
- 1776
Meaning of “Society in every state is a blessing, but…”
Paine distinguishes voluntary social cooperation from coercive government, treating political authority as a tool justified by necessity rather than an intrinsic good.
Where does it come from?
Common Sense (1776), “Of the Origin and Design of Government in general,” validated Wikisource scan leaf 13. Paine distinguishes voluntary society from coercive government and calls government even in its best state a necessary evil.
