Although Paine liked to say that he read very little, his writings belie this statement; The Age of Reason has intellectual roots in the traditions of David Hume, Spinoza, and Voltaire.
Walaupun Paine sering berkata bahwa ia tidak banyak membaca, tulisannya tidak menunjukkan hal tersebut; gagasan dalam The Age of Reason berakar dari tradisi David Hume, Spinoza, dan Voltaire.