Rights of Man (1791)

Written in a fit of pique brought about by Edmund Burke's blistering attack of the French Revolution, Paine's The Rights of Man has come to be regarded as one of the most important works in the realm of Western political philosophy. In it, Paine contends that some rights that are granted through natural law, rather than by governments or constitutions. A must-read for those interested in politics, philosophy, and the intersection of the two.