Thomas Paine defines government as separate from society, and indeed if society functioned perfectly there would be no need for government.
Thomas Paine Was Not A Libertarian
Libertarianism is the feeble step-child of anarchism: espousing that the individual is everything, the collective is always oppressive.
Thomas Paine and the Origins of Modern Democracy, Part II
Central to Paine’s political theories are his ideology of first principles. The foundation of these principles is equality, and as a direct result, justice.
Paine and the Origins of Modern Democracy, Part I
Thomas Paine is the founder of modern democracy. He crafted the democratic movement in three countries, and it spread on its own around the world.