Theorist

Thomas Paine

A pamphleteer of the American and French revolutions, Paine defended the rights of man, the republic, and radical social reforms in popular language, spreading democratic ideals among the masses of his time.

Portrait of Thomas Paine

Image: Laurent Dabos · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · cropped and resized

Thinker · 1737–1809

Profile is a model built from 240 answers simulated in character; not a statement by the person.

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01 / The profile

Twelve axes, one perspective

How to read the percentages ↗
Federal 61.3%38.7% Unitary
Democracy 83.8%16.2% Autocracy
Security 23.8%76.2% Liberty
Assimilation 21.3%78.7% Multiculturalism
Militarist 33.8%66.2% Pacifist
Non-interventionist 68.8%31.2% Nationalist
Public 65%35% Private
Planning 55%45% Free market
Protectionism 27.5%72.5% Globalism
Irreligious 90%10% Religious
Progressive 67.5%32.5% Traditionalist
Technology 61.3%38.7% Biology

02 / What stands out

Three distinctive positions

34.2pt

Trade

27.5% Protectionism, compared with the ideology catalog’s 61.7% median.

How open should the economy be to international exchange?

31.8pt

Religion

90% Irreligious, compared with the ideology catalog’s 58.2% median.

What place should religion have in individual and public life?

31.2pt

Power

23.8% Security, compared with the ideology catalog’s 55% median.

How far should the state reach into everyday life?

The profile in detail

Government and accountability. Structure: 61.3% Federal, 38.7% Unitary (Leaning Federal); Representation: 83.8% Democracy, 16.2% Autocracy (Strong Democracy). This combination separates where authority is located from how leaders are selected and constrained. It preserves those two choices even when a broad political label does not distinguish them. On Representation, the 877-profile catalog median is 57.5% Democracy; Thomas Paine sits 26.3 points above it. 274 reference profiles share this band.

Civil power and culture. Power: 23.8% Security, 76.2% Liberty (Strong Liberty); Immigration: 21.3% Assimilation, 78.7% Multiculturalism (Strong Multiculturalism). The first contrast concerns limits on civil life; the second concerns cultural adaptation and plural identities. Reading them together avoids inferring an immigration position solely from a preference about security. On Power, the 877-profile catalog median is 58.8% Security; Thomas Paine sits 35.0 points below it. 87 reference profiles share this band.

Force and foreign policy. Diplomacy: 33.8% Militarist, 66.2% Pacifist (Leaning Pacifist); Intervention: 68.8% Non-interventionist, 31.2% Nationalist (Leaning Non-interventionist). Military capacity and projection of national interests are distinct choices in this model. These coordinates show how the profile combines military means and external objectives, without assuming that they always move together. On Intervention, the 877-profile catalog median is 48.8% Non-interventionist; Thomas Paine sits 20.0 points above it. 203 reference profiles share this band.

Ownership, coordination and trade. Economy: 65% Public, 35% Private (Leaning Public); Control: 55% Planning, 45% Free market (Balanced); Trade: 27.5% Protectionism, 72.5% Globalism (Strong Globalism). These ask three different questions: who owns, how activity is coordinated and how the economy engages abroad. The economic profile of Thomas Paine depends on that combination, rather than a single left or right classification. On Economy, the 877-profile catalog median is 53.2% Public; Thomas Paine sits 11.8 points above it. 166 reference profiles share this band.

Belief and social norms. Religion: 90% Irreligious, 10% Religious (Very strong Irreligious); Morality: 67.5% Progressive, 32.5% Traditionalist (Leaning Progressive). The model keeps religious influence separate from continuity in social norms. These values describe the reference profile; they do not assign a religion to someone who receives this match in the quiz. On Morality, the 877-profile catalog median is 38.8% Progressive; Thomas Paine sits 28.7 points above it. 151 reference profiles share this band.

Technology and limits. Technology: 61.3% Technology, 38.7% Biology (Leaning Technology). This adds a perspective on innovation and biological continuity that cannot be inferred directly from the economic coordinates. For Thomas Paine, the 11.3-point distance from the center indicates the intensity of this particular position. On Technology, the 877-profile catalog median is 57.5% Technology; Thomas Paine sits 3.8 points above it. 299 reference profiles share this band.

03 / Connections

Nearby profiles

Closest ideologies

Closest countries & regions

Three views of compatibility

Further reading

Got Thomas Paine on the 12 Axes test?

Look at the other nearby profiles and the axes where you differ. A match is a starting point for exploring ideas, rather than a final identity.

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Frequently asked questions

What does getting Thomas Paine on the test mean?

Your twelve scores are relatively close to this reference profile. A match describes similarity inside the model; it does not imply agreement with every action, policy or belief associated with Thomas Paine.

Which ideology is closest to Thomas Paine?

Green Liberalism has 96.1% compatibility in the catalog. This score combines axis proximity, overall direction, intensity and the largest difference between the profiles.

Which axis stands out for Thomas Paine?

Religion is among the furthest from the center: 90% Irreligious and 10% Religious. Read all twelve axes to understand the full combination.

Your perspective, in detail

Where do your ideas stand?

Explore twelve dimensions and discover the combinations that make your perspective your own.

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