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Does Natural Rights Philosophy Justify A Right To Revolution?

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2. In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson stated that “governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.” From what source do the people derive the right to establish government?
• How “consent of the governed” is related to the concept of popular sovereignty?
• Does natural rights philosophy justify a right to revolution? Why or why not?

When President Barack Obama stands on a stage and yells to roaring crowd, “Don’t boo-vote!” it is a testament to what and where the consent really lies in our country. He reminds the citizens of this nation that their vote is their voice, and that it gives the government its power. In the Declaration of Independence, the people are given the right to run the government, not the other way around. The statement, "Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed" means that if a majority of the …show more content…

John Locke declared that through natural law, all people have the right to life, liberty, and property. In extent, under social contract, the people could instigate a revolution against the government when it acted against the interests of its citizens and that they had the power to replace the government with one that served the interests of its citizens. In opposition to Hobbes, who views government as almighty and immune to revolution, Locke permits revolution in circumstances of long and sustained abuse. The Bill of Rights and The Federalist Papers, too, can be seen as fortifying the right of revolution. In Federalist 28, Hamilton expresses this thought by saying, “if the persons entrusted with supreme power became usurpers…The citizens must rush tumultuously to arms...” Furthermore, these documents seek to ensure that the people do not suffer the abuses of a tyrannical sovereign ever again. Long live the American

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It is understood that John Locke played a key role of influence on Thomas Jefferson. This influence can be seen through Jefferson’s writing on the nation’s founding document. This document is called the Declaration of Independence. John Locke, the English Enlightenment philosopher wrote his Two Treatises of Government to refute the belief that kings ruled by divine right and to support the Glorious Revolution of 1688 (Doc 1). This piece of political philosophy provided many explanations for the people’s rights and obligations to overthrow a corrupt government.

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John Locke was a philosopher, and political scientist. He believed democracy was a considerably better form of government than a monarchy. Thomas Jefferson was the third U.S. president, and was one of America’s founding fathers. He was the author of the Declaration of Independence, and played a key role in the institution of the United States of America. John Locke was a very influential person when it came to Thomas Jefferson and the ideas within the Declaration of Independence.

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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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According to John Locke, an effective government must respect its people’s natural rights, which he argues is necessary because he believes that people have the ability to reason and are inherently good to govern themselves. Because the boys fail to implement this key governing component, they face the consequence of complete chaos and anarchy, which leads to multiple deaths. In John Locke’s Two Treatises of Government, he mentions the idea that “Governments exist by the consent of the people in order to protect the rights of the people and promote the public good, governments that fail to do so can be resisted and replaced with new governments.” [Locke]. Since he says that “governments exist by the consent of the people”, he is saying that

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In John Locke’s The Second Treatise of Government, Locke details the role of a government and the conditions under which it is just to resist one’s government. Locke asserts that the government’s duty is to preserve the rights and welfare of its subjects (Locke, 84). This shows that a government that doesn’t respect subjects’ rights is worthy of resistance, a concept still relevant today.

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The Declaration of Independence states, “--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed…”. In the article Why Government, it states, “But Locke also believed that governments should protect people’s natural rights.” Both of these quotes show that the purpose for creating government, is so that the protection of the natural rights of the people is ensured. Also, the idea that these fair powers are just what Men (human beings) are receiving and what they should receive from the creation of governments. Both of these quotes combine with each other, because of the pinpointed idea of how the government was created in order to benefit to the natural rights of the people, and to protect these

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In Second Treatise Government and The Leviathan, John Locke and Thomas Hobbes, suggest contrasting views as to whether citizens have the right of revolution against the sovereign. Hobbes prefers to establish the sovereign as a demigod, yet Locke understands the sovereign to be a mortal and fallible individual. Whereas Hobbes regards the sovereign as supreme and invulnerable from revolution, Locke does permit the people to revolt against the sovereign if the government infringes on their personal freedom and equality. The varied opinions of revolution lay in their view of the State of Nature — the natural state of man influences the decision of whether people should be able to revolt. Consequently, I argue that the way in which individuals

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Securing these rights is the most fundamental responsibility of his government. Also, some people may ask that how the government balances the whim of the state and the whim of the individual. In Jefferson’s perspective, “That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the people to alter or to abolish it…” (119), what Jefferson really means is that when people feel their safety and happiness are being infringed upon, they have rights to institute a new government. But Jefferson also emphasizes that only when people suffer from “a long train of abuses and usurpations” (119), is it a good way to change the government.

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This part in the Constitution means to me that the government can not turn into a dictatorship under the Constitution.

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The Founding Fathers rebelled against the British government for good reasons, which led to the American Revolution in 1783. The Founding Fathers were justified in rebelling against the Britain because the government was not protecting the rights of the citizens, taxing the colonists, and forced them to house British soldiers. In 1756 Britain put the first tax on the colonists. This was the Stamp Act, it required colonists to pay taxes on certain items such as newspapers, legal documents, licenses, and even playing cards.

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“When the people fear their government there is tyranny:When the government fears the people there is liberty”. This quote by Thomas Jefferson best describes the vision our Founding Fathers had for our country. This way of thinking led them to write the Declaration of Independence in protest of King George III tyrannical government. Our Forefathers borrowed from the teaching of an ancient Greek philosopher named Plato and his student Aristotle. They believed that a tyrannical form of government was the least likely to prevail because one person that has all of the power is more susceptible to making mistakes and abusing power.

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Locke’s vision of continual consent to governmental rule is much more appealing than Hobbes’s tyrant. Even though his views on human nature seem too good to be true, Locke’s philosophy is alluringly practical. If you do not agree with your government, simply leave and find another government you do agree with. Additionally, Locke’s plan protects the citizens by giving them leave to make their own decisions. Hobbes’s view is doubly flawed: his opinion on human nature forces his government to fail morally.

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