Agrarian Justice (Paperback)

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Agrarian Justice is the title of a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine, published in 1797, which advocated the use of an estate tax to fund a universal old-age and disability pension, as well as a fixed sum to be paid to all citizens on reaching maturity. This is similar to the later philosophy of Georgism. It was written in the winter of 1795-96, but remained unpublished for a year, Paine being undecided whether or not it would be best to wait until the end of the ongoing war with France before publishing. However, having read a sermon by Richard Watson, the Bishop of Llandaff, which discussed the "Wisdom ... of God, in having made both Rich and Poor," he felt the need to publish, under the argument that "rich" and "poor" were arbitrary divisions, not divinely created ones.