A vast mass of mankind are degradedly thrown into the back-ground of the human picture, to bring forward, with greater glare, the puppet-show of state and aristocracy.
Thomas Paine: “A vast mass of mankind are degradedly thrown into the back-ground of the human picture, to bring forward, with greater…”
Editor's note · Context
In "Rights of Man," Paine criticizes how large portions of humanity are marginalized to highlight the ostentatious display of state and aristocracy.
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