#12 in Philosophy
Common Sense
- 61
- Pages
- about 1 h
- Reading time
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Our view
“Common Sense” is a short, forceful pamphlet whose case against hereditary monarchy still reads with real energy. Thomas Paine wrote it for ordinary colonists in plain, persuasive prose, arguing for independence from Great Britain as the American Revolution began. Some readers find its arguments about liberty strikingly current, even where a passage turns dry. At just over sixty pages, it is a quick route to the ideas behind 1776.
The view of the BookRank editors, written from readers’ ratings and comments. It does not affect the score or the book’s place in a ranking.
About the book
Common Sense is a 47-page pamphlet written by Thomas Paine in 1775–1776 advocating independence from Great Britain to people in the Thirteen Colonies. Writing in clear and persuasive prose, Paine collected moral and political arguments to encourage common people in the Colonies to fight for egalitarian government. It was published anonymously on January 10, 1776, at the beginning of the American Revolution and became an immediate sensation.
Where the score comes from
The sources average 7.8 across 89 ratings — not yet many, so the reader vote carries 38% of the weight and the rest pulls toward the Philosophy average of 8.0. That is how 7.9 comes out.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Library | 8.2 | 10 | 11% |
| Hardcover | 7.8 | 79 | 89% |
Frequently asked
How long is Common Sense?
It has 61 pages — shorter than 100% of the ranked books in Philosophy.
In this book
Themes this book shares with others — each leads to the best books on it.
If you liked this
Same shelf — Philosophy — with scores between 7.5 and 8.3, closest to this book.
