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How Did John Locke Influence Society

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When the American colonist won The American Revolutionary War against Britain our founding fathers created a democratic government. They used a set of beliefs called liberalism which had developed during the Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment period. These new views of life were influenced by the English political philosopher John Locke. Although there were other philosophers whom shared the idea of individual rights it was Locke’s writings that provided the foundation to our rights in America. He believed that individual right’s included life, liberty and property. Locke insisted, “that government was originally formed for the purpose of protecting man 's individual rights against the incursions of other individuals” (Sigler, 1998, para.1). Locke’s ideas on revolution supported the American Revolutionary war and his views of man’s natural rights shape our democratic government which are still relevant today. John Locke’s famous writing Two Treaties of Government claimed that all men have certain natural rights. Men have the right to be free and equal which went against the early rule of the monarchy. He believed some of our rights have to be given up in order to form a government that would protect every man but if the government failed or selfishly used …show more content…

John Locke’s influence on our rights and culture is still strong today. The ideas of free enterprise, the evils of big government, and the right of the people to be heard is in the news every day. Students marched on the capital in Washington D.C. on March 24, 2018 to demand stronger gun laws and their right to feel safe at school. While Goldie (2008) points out “the National Rifle Association cites paragraph 137 of the Second Treatise as an authority on the right to carry arms” (para. 4). So, we have two different points of view but each can claim their position is entitled under their natural rights. In modern day, we have many more complicated issues impacting our ideas of life, liberty, and

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How Did Locke's Ideas Lead To The American Revolution Dbq

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He also imprisoned anyone he wanted without doing trials and controlled people’s right to speak. None of these restrictions were close to Locke’s meaning of a government. Locke defended that a government should protect the rights of the people because every man have rights to life, liberty, and property. He then stated that if a government fail to do so, it can be revolted

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How Did John Locke Influence Thomas Jefferson

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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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One of the biggest influences that John Locke had on President Jefferson was, what John Locke dubbed, “Natural Rights,” and what Jefferson called, “Unalienable Rights.” Meaning practically the same thing, these rights were very similar, and it is obvious that Jefferson’s version derives from Locke’s ‘Natural Rights.’ John Locke’s version stated that all peoples shall possess the following rights: Life, Liberty, and Property. In this case, life means, that people people will fight to live and want to survive. Liberty refers to being free, and being able to make one’s own decision.

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How Did John Locke Influence The American Constitution

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• Thomas used Aristotle’s view of natural law to justify the authority of the Roman Catholic Church in political as well as religious matters. For the purpose of explaining the fundamental reasons of law he used Aristotle’s philosophy and added the use of an eternal ruler. John Locke • John Locke had a distinct influence on the writers of the American Constitution by advocating for human rights and liberty through democracy. In saying so, he believed that the mass majority of ordinary people can be capable of giving consent to their governor/ruler as opposed to the Monarch government. However if the ruler did not comply with the needs of the people, Locke believed that the public had the justified right to rebel.

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How Did John Locke Influence The Declaration Of Independence

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As Thomas Jefferson stated in the Declaration of Independence, “Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed” by stating this he’s saying no matter how powerful our government is it is still his job to protect our inalienable rights. The next topic that John Locke said impacted the Declaration of Independence was about if our government didn’t do its job to protect those rights he shouldn't be in our government. Another reason for the government is to put a stop to anything that is blocking people from their rights. As John Locke said in his Second Treatise of government “Society created order and grants the state its [purpose]… the only important role of the state is to ensure that justice is seen to be done”. The conclusion of this is that government is there to protect you, your rights, and

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Locke had stated that when an executive act for his own benefit, and not to serve the ends of the people. He “degrades himself” and becomes “but a single private person without power,” at which point he no longer has any right to rule over the people. Locke expresses the idea of rebellion against an unjust government. By giving the idea of rebellion, he also reveals that a human’s rights have changed over the years and that a man now has inherent rights. It was because of his declaration that the statement, “give me liberty or give me death,” become popular among the American people.

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John Locke was a key figure in the Enlightenment (which was at its peak at the time of the revolution), who stated that the government’s duty was to secure the rights of the people with the consent of the governed. If the government fails to do its duty, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to create a new one. Essentially, this was what the American Declaration of Independence revolved around; it calls out King George III on his acts that violates their values of equality and their unalienable rights and declares the independence of the thirteen

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John Locke was a very smart philosopher, and he stated many reasonable points that we still go by today. The points that were argued by Locke were the natural rights, such as life, liberty, and property. These were in the social contract that assured a free man’s peace. Life. The most important inalienable right.

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Locke’s ideas from the Two Treatises of Government and An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, were based upon the natural rights where power comes from the people. Both of his pieces contributed to revolutions, most importantly the American Revolution as power from monarchies was removed and democracies were created. Allowed for limited government power and all obligations were to the citizens. An Essay Concerning Human Understanding basis was on how the knowledge existence of God, certain moral truths, and laws of logic or mathematics pertained to the natural rights of

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John Locke was a philosopher and political scientist. He had many interests and produced a number of writings that influenced future leaders. One of these leaders was Thomas Jefferson, who was involved with the aid of America and the act gaining independence from Britain. The Declaration of Independence and Locke’s views on government contain many similar aspects. These ideas includes the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness (natural rights); the protection that is provided by the government for these rights; and the altering or abolishment of government if it fails to provide and protect the rights of the people.

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Influence Of Voltaire On The Declaration Of Independence By Thomas Paine

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The Common Sense pamphlet was written by Thomas Paine he was an editor for the Pennsylvanian magazine. The Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson. These two authors, Paine and Jefferson got their ideas from the Enlightenment philosophers Voltaire, Locke, Rousseau, and Montesquieu. One philosopher’s ideas that was found in both documents was Voltaire.

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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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