What is Common Sense about?

The blazing pamphlet that argued for American independence — plain, fierce, and one of the most influential political tracts ever written.

Get smart in 7 min
Skip the 73 pages · 10 key ideas · read or listen
  1. 1The Illusion of Monarchy
  2. 2The Case for Independence
  3. 3The Role of Government
  4. 4The Dangers of Reconciliation
  5. 5A New Social Contract
+5 more ideas · 🎧 listenRead or listen to the summary →
Speed readNew
Read the full book up to 3× faster — one focus word at a time, in about 1h 2m.

A glimpse inside

Illustration from Common Sense
The Illusion of Monarchy

Paine begins by critically examining the institution of monarchy, arguing that it is fundamentally flawed and unjust. He posits that no individual should have the right t…

The Case for Independence

Paine argues that America must declare independence from Britain, emphasizing that the connection to the British crown is detrimental to the colonies' prosperity and safe…

See all 10 key ideas →

Read the full text — free

The complete public-domain text, every chapter — no account, no ads.
Read at your pace, blitz it in speed-read mode, or get the big ideas in 7 minutes.
Start reading →

About the author

Thomas Paine

Read Thomas Paine's work free on Lumina — full text plus an 8-minute summary and key ideas.

All 1 book by Thomas Paine

Frequently asked

Yes — the complete text of Common Sense is free to read online, with no account and no ads. The 8-minute Big-ideas summary and audio narration are unlocked too.

Worlds to get lost in

Take Lumina everywhere

Read offline, listen to AI summaries, speed-read, and sync your progress across devices — free on iPhone.

Download for iPhone