Asked by meeeeeee

How does Paine distinguish between society and government?


Society is conflictual; government is peaceful.


Society is natural; government is artificial.


Society represents unity; government represents division.


Society is wealth; government is power

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
Answer: Society is natural; government is artificial.

Paine writes (e.g., in Rights of Man) that “society is produced by our wants, and government by our wickedness.” He treats society as a natural, beneficial product of human needs and cooperation, and government as an artificial, coercive institution created to restrain human vices—a necessary evil rather than a spontaneous good.