In the man's words, just as "those who lived a hundred or a thousand years ago" were modern in their time, the situation was not no different in the 18th century. (Paine, para. 82). For this reason, it was absurd to expect ancient rules to govern contemporary times, as the desires and reasonings of societies continue to evolve over the years. Nevertheless, the two men coincide in their understanding of the role that history plays in the contemporary societies of 18th-century France. In other words, at some point Burke and Paine recognized that everything that was happening in France was due to people's pasts and their reactions to the situation.