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There are multiple genres that Thomas Paine's Common Sense could be classified with. A general genre you could certainly classify it as is "non-fiction," but that's a bit too vague. The sub-genres where Paine's work could go are Social Sciences, classics, politics, philosophy, and American history (or history in general for that matter).
Let me provide the rationale for each classification.
non-fiction: This is a true work of literature. Let's be clear about that.
social science: more specific than non-fiction, but politics, philosophy (which could also be regarded as a humanity), and American history
classic: the book is a classic. It truly changed the course of history To this day, numerous people rely on the book for wisdom. For example, whatever you may think about Mitt Romney (the former Massachusetts governor and front runner for the Republican nomination for its party's presidential candidate) quoted from it in his victory speech following his victory in Florida in 2012. Furthermore, many book publishers publish it in their classics division. For example, Penguin publishes it under "Penguin Classics."
philosophy: the book describes Paine's philosophy. It is a type of popular philosophy, written in language that the common man could understand unlike some other writers from the time period (Locke, Rousseau, Montesqieu). You could understand the pamphlet as presenting a particular philosophy on politics because it describes how governments origin, how the should be designed, reflecting Paine's thoughts on monarchy, the state of American affairs in the mid 1770s, while describing an optimistic view of America's abilities to fight a revolution against what was then the most powerful army in the world.
politics / political science: Common Senseinfluenced a political transformation that took place in what became the United States, namely the American Revolution. The reasons for this classification are very similar to the one on philosophy.
history: It is a work within a particular context. More specifically, Paine has provided us with a primary source from the American Revolution (1775-81).
Depending on how diverse your book collection is, Common Sense could be classified in various ways. Suppose you are a historian or a history student, or a history lover. You might have hundreds of history books. You might want to arrange Paine alongside your American history books, or your books on the American Revolution. Perhaps if you were a philosopher, you might classify Paine differently, alongside your American philosophers (as opposed to your Germans, your Britishers, your Frenchmen, et cetera). Or you might want to classify Paine alongside Enlightenment thinkers, as opposed to ancients, existentialists, and your post-modernists. These are all hypotheticals; classification is more of a subjective thing than an objective one.
If you were looking in the library for this book, your best bet would be to find it in your history section. The Dewey decimal code would probably be around 973, in the general history of the United States.
Other suggestions
American Studies: It is a work that represents the culture and history of the United States. It is one of those quintessentially American books.
I hope this answers your question.
- A.S. Zaman
Wiki User
∙ 12y ago
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Is Thomas Paine's common sense a poem?
No, Thomas Paine's "Common Sense" is not a poem. It is a pamphlet written in prose style, published in 1776, advocating for American independence from British rule.
A popular type of character who displayed American common sense by outwitting sophisticated foreigners?
"The Yankee"
What was the pamphlet published by Thomas Paine called?
Common Sense
What was the popular type of character who displayed American common sense by outwitting sophisticated foreigners called?
The stage Yankee.
What is the title of Thomas Paine's famous piece of literature?
Thomas Paine wrote Common Sense (1776) The American Crisis (1776 - 1783)The Rights of Man (1791)First Principles of Government (1795)The Age of Reason (1783-1795)Agrarian Justice (1795 - 1796)
Name three pieces of literature that Thomas Paine wrote?
One is Common Sense. He wrote that. He wrote Common Sense, The Rights of Man, and The Crisis.
What is generally common theme in modernist fiction?
A common theme in modernist fiction is paradoxism. External crisis is another common theme in this type of literature. You will also notice fragmentation in this type of literature.
Can you have common sense without any type of knowledge?
I don't think so because common sense is the accumulation of ordinary day-to-day knowledge that we refer to as common sense.
Is eerie a type of mood in literature?
Yes, "eerie" is a type of mood in literature. It refers to a feeling of unease or creepy atmosphere that can create a sense of suspense or foreboding in a story. This mood is often used to evoke a sense of mystery or supernatural elements in a narrative.
Which type of appeal primarily uses facts statistics and common sense?
Logos
Is Thomas Paine's common sense a poem?
No, Thomas Paine's "Common Sense" is not a poem. It is a pamphlet written in prose style, published in 1776, advocating for American independence from British rule.
What does all modernist literature have?
Modernist literature often communicates a sense of discontinuity.
What type of reasoning involes applying general principles to a specific case?
Common sense.
What type of language did Thomas Paine use in his pamphlet common sense?
English of that time
Why is Thomas Paine a famous figure in the American Revolution?
He helped "drum up" support for the colonies with his works of literature such as Common Sense, exciting the revolution.
When do you use your common sense?
You use your common sense when you need to. THAT WHAT I SAID IS COMMON SENSE!
Describe what guides your moral compass if you are an atheist or agnostic.?
It's is wrong to cause other living things to needlessly suffer. This is common sense, if you cannot figure this out with the help of arcane literature (or if said literature encourages it), I suggest you seek professional help. (I asked for an answer with some form of proof or logic behind it. Merely stating common sense is not valid as it differs from person to person.)
