With respect to the first of these heads, that of a Family establishing itself with hereditary powers on its own authority, and independent of the consent of a Nation, all men will concur in calling it despotism; and it would be trespassing on their understanding to attempt to prove it.
Thomas Paine: “With respect to the first of these heads, that of a Family establishing itself with hereditary powers on its own…”
Editor's note · Context
In "Rights of Man," Paine asserts that a family establishing hereditary power without national consent is universally recognized as despotism.
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