Paine's Reconciliation

In 1543, Nicolaus Copernicus published De revolutionibus orbium coelestium (On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres), and sparked the beginning of the scientific revolution, which dramatically changed the course of human history forever. The Scientific Revolution was the rapid expansion of humanist thinking, and participants believed that humans had great potential, so they started to focus on this potential, and the good of humanity. This new way of thinking was simulated by publications of wise, respected theorists and thinkers. These people changed the future of humankind with their works. These authors included: Ralph Waldo Emerson who described the problems humans faced to find their potential, Thomas Paine described the world without
For example, Paine talks about possible ways to accomplish reconciliation with the British towards the end of the text, “Reconciliation is now a fallacious dream. Nature hath deserted the connection, and art cannot supply her place. For, as Milton wisely expresses, ‘never can true reconcilement grow where wounds of deadly hate have pierced so deep’” (Paine 330). This text is an appeal to emotion. This text appeals to a hateful, and rebellious emotion because of how Paine describes the reconciliation with Britain as a fallacious dream, so that the reader knows it is to impossible make amends with Britain. Paine channels this emotion by blaming the British for creating a scar from a deadly wound in American identity. He channels the reader’s hate through a quotation from Paradise Lost and in it states how since Britain has left America with deep wounds of hate. The reader then feels the obligation to feel hatred towards the British, and be an independent society because Americans have potential to be great so long as they are independent. Similarly, Emerson shows this again when talking about the pleasures of work, “A man is relieved and gay when he has put his heart into his work and done his best; but when he has said or done otherwise, shall give him no peace. It is a deliverance which does not deliver” (Emerson 550). This text is paradoxical and contradicts itself through saying, it is a deliverance which does not deliver. Emerson says that being set free from this constant tiring work which gives humans no peace, does not come, and is not delivered to humans. In order to be happy and relieved, humans must put all their effort into their work. This text shows how thinking for ourselves and being more confident will make us happy and set free. “For another hour I did not move a muscle” (Poe 716). This is figurative