The Age of Reason
Thomas Paine finished the first part of this deist tract only hours before his arrest in revolutionary France, then completed the rest after his release from prison, and it reads like a man arguing for his convictions against both church and state. Published in three parts between 1794 and 1807, it takes aim at organized religion and the authority of the Bible, which Paine works through book by book, questioning miracles, prophecy, and the very idea of revealed scripture. In their place he sets a natural religion grounded in reason and the evidence of the created world, professing belief in one God while rejecting every institutional creed built around Him. The argument scandalized readers on both sides of the Atlantic and cost Paine dearly in reputation. Free PDF and EPUB editions are available here.
About the Author
Thomas Paine (1737-1809) was an English-born political writer whose pamphlets helped ignite both the American and French revolutions. Author of Common Sense and Rights of Man, he championed republican government and plain reason, and died poor and largely scorned in New York.
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Listen to The Age of Reason Audiobook Free
Listen to The Age of Reason by Thomas Paine free online. The full audiobook (7 hr 47 min, 37 chapters, read by lukkystarr) streams free on this page.
The Age of Reason (1807) is a public domain work.
| # | Chapter | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Part First, Introduction | 1:28 | |
| 2 | Part First, Section 1 | 8:20 | |
| 3 | Part First, Section 2 | 10:28 | |
| 4 | Part First, Section 3 | 9:41 | |
| 5 | Part First, Section 4 | 10:56 | |
| 6 | Part First, Section 5 | 11:27 | |
| 7 | Part First, Section 6 | 10:11 | |
| 8 | Part First, Section 7 | 11:08 | |
| 9 | Part First, Section 8 | 12:14 | |
| 10 | Part First, Section 9 | 8:44 | |
| 11 | Part First, Section 10 | 12:31 | |
| 12 | Part First, Section 11 | 13:18 | |
| 13 | Part First, Section 12 | 13:35 | |
| 14 | Part First, Section 13 | 12:47 | |
| 15 | Part First, Section 14 | 13:12 | |
| 16 | Part First, Section 15 | 13:42 | |
| 17 | Part Second, Preface | 9:46 | |
| 18 | Part Second, Sections 1 & 2 | 12:40 | |
| 19 | Part Second, Section 3 | 13:12 | |
| 20 | Part Second, Section 4 | 13:41 | |
| 21 | Part Second, Section 5 | 14:53 | |
| 22 | Part Second, Section 6 | 22:06 | |
| 23 | Part Second, Section 7 | 12:59 | |
| 24 | Part Second, Section 8 | 0:56 | |
| 25 | Part Second, Section 9 | 14:20 | |
| 26 | Part Second, Section 10 | 15:50 | |
| 27 | Part Second, Section 11 | 16:47 | |
| 28 | Part Second, Section 12 | 13:09 | |
| 29 | Part Second, Section 13 | 14:57 | |
| 30 | Part Second, Section 14 | 15:23 | |
| 31 | Part Second, Section 15 | 16:17 | |
| 32 | Part Second, Section 16 | 15:03 | |
| 33 | Part Second, Section 17 | 14:21 | |
| 34 | Part Second, Section 18 | 15:06 | |
| 35 | Part Second, Section 19 | 8:08 | |
| 36 | Part Second, Section 20 | 15:50 | |
| 37 | Part Second, Section 21 | 17:59 |
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