Age of Reason (version 2)

by Thomas Paine

*Non-fiction Philosophy Political Science Religion

48 chapters11h 36mEnglish1807

About this book

The Age of Reason; Being an Investigation of True and Fabulous Theology is a pamphlet, written by a British and American revolutionary Thomas Paine. The Age of Reason challenges institutionalized religion and challenges the legitimacy of the Bible, the central sacred text of Christianity. Published in three parts in 1794, 1795, and 1807, it was a bestseller in the United States, where it caused a short-lived deistic revival. Part 1 was written sometime in 1793, and attacks the concepts of divine revelation and inspiration. He urged his readers to employ reason over revelation. Part 2 was written either during or shortly after his confinement in a French prison in 1794. In Part 2, Paine attacks the reliability of the Bible and points out numerous absurdities and contradictions. Part 3 was written in the United States sometime around 1800 but he delayed publication until 1807 for fears of violent backlash. Part 3 is an examination and rejection of the claims of prophecies concerning Jesus Christ. Although these arguments were commonly known amongst the educated elite, Paine wrote in simple and irreverent prose that was easily accessible to a mass audience. Paine argued against religion as it is revealed in the Bible, but he argued just as strongly for a Deistic religion and a Creator of Reason. This LibriVox recording of The Age of Reason is taken from Richard Carlile’s anthology of Paine’s writings, published in 1818. Carlile charged one shilling and sixpence for the work, and the first run of 1,000 copies sold out in a month. He immediately published a second edition of 3,000 copies. In 1819, Carlile was found guilty of blasphemy and seditious libel and sentenced to three years in Dorchester Gaol with a fine of £1,500. The prosecutions surrounding the printing of The Age of Reason in Britain continued for thirty years after its initial release and encompassed numerous publishers as well as over a hundred booksellers. (Summary by JoeD and Wikipedia)

Chapters (48)

1Part First, Section 1

555

2Part First, Section 2

601

3Part First, Section 3

566

4Part First, Section 4

658

5Part First, Section 5

719

6Part First, Section 6

597

7Part First, Section 7

693

8Part First, Section 8

784

9Part First, Section 9

511

10Part First, Section 10

735

11Part First, Section 11

771

12Part First, Section 12

800

13Part First, Section 13

772

14Part First, Section 14

816

15Part First, Section 15

557

16Part Second, Preface

595

17Part Second, Section 1

717

18Part Second, Section 2

908

19Part Second, Section 3

864

20Part Second, Section 4

942

21Part Second, Section 5

1323

22Part Second, Section 6

766

23Part Second, Section 7

1277

24Part Second, Section 8

834

25Part Second, Section 9

923

26Part Second, Section 10

1064

27Part Second, Section 11

823

28Part Second, Section 12

1028

29Part Second, Section 13

1031

30Part Second, Section 14

1040

31Part Second, Section 15

985

32Part Second, Section 16

958

33Part Second, Section 17

978

34Part Second, Section 18

546

35Part Second, Section 19

1069

36Part Second, Section 20

1183

37Part Third, Preface and Introduction

522

38Part Third, An Essay on Dreams

1350

39Part Third, Section 1

1460

40Part Third, Section 2

1180

41Part Third, Section 3

1167

42Part Third, Section 4

1140

43Part Third, Section 5

868

44Part Third, Section 6

900

45Part Third, Section 7

1385

46Part Third, Section

1222

47Part Third, Appendix - Contradictory Doctrines in the New Testament, Between Matthew And Mark

309

48Part Third, Appendix - My Private Thoughts on a Future State

308

Age of Reason (version 2)

About this book

Chapters (48)

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