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Declaration Of Independence By Thomas Hobbes

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There were many philosophies and ideas that shaped what the United States of America was to become. Its founders focused on the ideas and notions of previous governments and societies as they seek to form a perfect union that was designed for the people and run by the people. Central to this new country was the notion of justice and how to best obtain it throughout society. To this, the question was always answered by preserving the individual liberties of each person as they can discern for themselves what they wish to achieve in society. Though the founders pulled ideas from Aristotle and Jean Jacq Rousseau it is evident that the principles of Thomas Hobbes were fundamental to the formation of their new Government and country. Justice …show more content…

Turning to the Declaration of Independence it is seen in the line “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” (Declaration of Independence). In this the founders intended for each person to decide for themselves what they wished to accomplish here in the States, to make them happy and not for the government to decide for them and determine what they can or cannot accomplish. In the phrase “the pursuit of happiness” they being the government are not guaranteeing that one will achieve happiness but that everyone has the right to seek out those things that will make them …show more content…

In the Bill of Rights, the government states that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof” thus ensuring the people the liberty to practice any religion they choose without the restriction of the government limiting their beliefs (Constitution). The government is also seen protecting the citizens when they are charged with a crime, as they are innocent until proven guilty. This is done through a fair trial by jury which decides the verdict and punishment for the individual if they shall get convicted. This process ensures justice for the people who are convicted of crimes have been shown to have committed the crime and are guilty, rather than a completely innocent individual. It is seen countless times in which the government has made every attempt to ensure the individual can have as much liberty as they can within

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In his book, Garry Wills attempt to tell the story, or stories of the American Declaration of Independence. He begins by talking about the Continental Congress and how they would arrive at a document that would be the base for their revolution. While Jefferson is accredited to writing the final draft, politics prevailed, important things were left out, and the political ideologies of the delegates was considered. Wills then begins to discuss in more detail, Thomas Jefferson’s original intent concerning the Declaration. He discusses how the ideas are rooted in scientific inquiry and then routed through the moral ideas in order to apply them politically.

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America’s Founders believed that liberty was important and must be supported. Finding a balance between individual rights and a strong union was important because it determined their productivity as one. The Founding Fathers consisted of John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and George Washington. . James Wilson felt as if law,liberty and nature belonged together and without one it would disrupt everything. The Founding Principle is that “all men are created equal” and the following rights cannot be taken away from them “Life,Liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

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The U.S. Constitution was a very well elaborated document that involved many philosophical thinkers like Thomas Hobbes and John Locke. These men had thoughts that found their way onto the Constitution with some of them entangling the other and others being polar opposites. Their theories had a tremendous impact on how the Constitution came to be. Thomas Hobbes is not necessarily considered a founding father but he influenced the people who are in a huge way. He stated that men and women should pursue what they desire in life and that they shouldn’t settle for less.

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(Q4) As a scholar in 1789, looking at the United States Constitution I would see many ideas from the Enlightenment. There would be ideas from both Thomas Hobbes and John Locke reflected within the document. There are parts in the Constitution that explain how to build a powerful government to maintain control and keep the people in line. Thomas Hobbes believed that a strong government was a necessity. There are also parts that reflect classical liberalism however, which pushed for individualism and the government only having power that people allow it to have.

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Age of Reason Assignment The Age of Reason brought forth many important documents that are foundational or influenced foundational documents. Two of those documents are the “Declaration of Independence” by Thomas Jefferson, and “Benjamin Franklin’s The Autobiography” by Benjamin Franklin. First, “The Declaration of Independence” is arguably one of the most well known documents in all of U.S. history. The author, Thomas Jefferson, claims many times how the King of England infringed on the rights of the citizens of Britain residing in the 13 colonies.

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Hannah Callahan English 10 U 1 Essay 10/24/2016 Declaration of Independance The writings of Thomas Jefferson and Richard Henry Lee are what our country has been based upon. Both men had an important role in the formation of this country after this Revolution. Henry Lee provided his insight and ideas that were later used as a foundation for what

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In this document, Jefferson declared the need to separate from the British Empire and voiced the opinion of many Americans views about our rights as humans. Additionally, Jefferson believes that God created every man with rights no one can take away, the right to live, the right to freedom, and the right the pursue happiness. Jefferson goes on to argue, that we the people have rights that cannot be taken away and it is the right of the people to abolish such a government, which tries to take away our God given rights. In support of Thomas Jefferson, the ideal government should be designed and ran for the people, and judged by how effectively it secures the rights of the people while promoting happiness and equality. The government is the only foundation that can make our rights of justice, liberty, and equality, become reality.

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The Founding Fathers are the cornerstone of all the ideological values that are American. The three aspects of American ideology guided past Americans and continue to guide future Americans towards a moral high ground. Thomas Jefferson, who drafted the Declaration of Independence, did so for the good of all Americans, present and future. American is the greatest country on earth.

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On January 17, 1706 Benjamin Franklin the “man of electricity” was born. He was the youngest of 10 kids, his mother and father's names were Josiah Franklin and Abiah Folger, his father's second wife. Benjamin's father , in total, would have 17 children. Benjamin's father was only able to send him to school for a year, but being a clergy took many years. Benjamin’s brother, James, was a printer Benjamin and so, Benjamin would help sell his products on the streets in these next 3 paragraphs.

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I was selling shoes to a kid named Great Fire. He was drinking tea at the time. He had 1 dollar and wanted a new pair of church shoes . My store was at the the corner market in Boston and was one of the best clothing stores in Boston. After I was done with Great fire, he left with his new church shoes.

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Messages about American identity and what it means to be “American” are both explicitly and subtly taught in everyday life. The historical document, “The Declaration of Independence” by our founding fathers and the article “America” by Kristen Silva Gruesz lay a foundation for how current people understand ideas about America. The Declaration of Independence talks about life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, whereas “America” discusses the complexities of the word, “America” itself. Advertisements, both current and old, have consistently shown ideas of what it means “to be” American. The American Baking Powder advertisement from the 1940s tells its consumers that a “good American” is free like an eagle, patriotic, and the light of the world.

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I believe that we don’t completely uphold the principles of the Declaration of Independence. There is racism, broken rights, bullying, and so many horrible things that disobey the Declaration of Independence’s principles. However, there are also law abiding citizens who obey everything and have all their rights, then there are heroes, who dedicate their whole lives to making this into a completely good country that upholds every principle of the Declaration of Independence. There is still freedom of speech and we still have the right to be whatever religion we want without having to deal with people coming to our door and saying we are a traitor and that we should be executed.

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There were many philosophers in the 17th and 18th century that influenced and inspired the founders of our country. For instance, John Locke believed that life, liberty, and property should be our natural rights as humans and if the government could not secure these rights then the people could get rid of them. That idea impacted Thomas Jefferson when he wrote the Declaration of Independence. This was the perfect time to develop different theories and contradictions because this was right around the time of the printing press and protestant reformation where people started to question the catholic church. Other philosophers like Thomas Hobbes, Voltaire, Montesquieu, and Rousseau impacted founders like George Washington and James Madison who have positively affected this country in many different ways.

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The American Revolution or also known as The War of Independence was brought on by American colonists. The colonists felt the taxations and limitations oppressed onto the Americans by British was worth fighting for their rights. The Americans had George Washington as their general, and Washington had an itch to keep the moral of the colonists alive during the hard times. In the times of The American Revolution, the Second Continental Congress emerged and voted for freedom from Great Britain. Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin came together and formed a document stating the colonists’ intent to gain independence from Great Britain.

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Having been adamant believers in such laws, the founding fathers thought the best way to protect the natural rights of American citizens was to establish laws that are in agreement with divine laws. They believed that God brought the world into being with series of principles by which it should be governed. From their perspective, the American people would not be able to continue to exist as an independent civilization without the protection of these principles. Thomas Jefferson, referring to Natural Law, wrote the following words in the Declaration of Independence: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" (The Declaration of Independence, U.S. 1776, para. 2). In writing those words in the Constitution, Jefferson believed that life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness were part of the human nature that every human being is entitled to.

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