Question

What argument is Thomas Paine trying to make in this excerpt?

Answer 1

Answer:

A.  The differences between the kings and the subjects are not natural or necessary.

Explanation:

Common Sense is a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine in 1775–1776, at the beginning of the American Revolution, demanding independence of the people living in the Thirteen Colonies from Great Britain.

In the given excerpt he is saying that the differences between the kings and the subjects are not natural or necessary. He does not claim that there will always be a need to separate kings and their subjects. In fact, it's the opposite. He is questioning that difference and whether it brings happiness or misery to mankind. He doesn't explicitly mention natural disasters or discuss what the people who belong to the upper levels of society are like. That is not the point of the text, but the unnecessary distinction between the kings and subjects is.

So, the correct answer is A.