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John Locke Declaration Of Independence Analysis

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John Locke wrote philosophy in which Thomas Jefferson used in the Declaration of Independence. In John Lockes' "The Second Treatise on Government" he strictly says "TO understand... what state all men are naturally in and that is, a state of perfect freedom" (The Second Treatise on Government, Section 4). Thomas Jefferson used this in the declaration when stating that all men are created equal and that it is their right to be independent. "MAN HATH A RIGHT TO PUNISH THE OFFENDER, AND BE EXECUTIONER OF THE LAW OF NATURE" (The Second Treatise on Government, Section 8). Locke specifically points out that if a person or whole country is an offender of something it is the victims or someone else's right in order to do something about that offense. In the declaration, it is said "it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security." (Declaration 1.2). I believe that this quote is …show more content…

Locke shows that our natural state is freedom and happiness. How would one achieve their natural state if the government is corrupted? In section 121, Locke provides information on how to avoid the conduct and rules of the government. Although that the government does have power over rules and conducts, Locke says there is a self evident trust between the government and the people for them to achieve their natural state. If the people are not in their natural state the government has broken the trust and the people are justified to no longer obey the governments conduct or any of the rules. How would this relate to the declaration of independence? In the declaration, the authors described how many people did not feel that they were in their natural state under the kings rule. "With certain unalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness" (Declaration 1.2). These

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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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Essentially, Locke states that it would be necessary for the people to dissolve their government and start anew if the government stopped functioning for the people. More specially, the government should be recreated if a tyrannical power took over and changed the legislative. Secondly, if the legislative broke its trust, a new government would be necessary. Finally, dissolvent of a state’s government would be needed if ways of election “altered contrary to common interest of the people”. Baron de Montesquieu: The Spirit of the Laws 1.

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Over the course of American history, society has dealt with many flaws, and dilemmas. In Source B, it illustrates that Abigail Adams, John’s wife, wanted the Continental Congress to remember the ladies when they write The Declaration of Independence. In Source C, it rationalizes how slaves didn’t have equal rights as white men, and the petition is trying to give their natural rights back. Furthermore, in Source D, a miniseries that depicted John Adams life, given particular the Revolutionary War. This source allows the viewer to visualize the conflicts that the Continental Congress had, with the colonists, and the British.

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Jefferson had many ideas that seemed to be influenced by predecessors such as John Locke. However, there are also some similarities found in other such philosophies of politics. This could include some ideas that don’t even have an idea to project a democracy, but rather an absolute monarch, as proposed by Hobbes. The concepts that were placed within the theory of revolution have made themselves evident to be followed by other such ideals. How like-minded were these concepts though and just what did they have that was shared by others?

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245 Words | 1 Pages

Locke believed that the citizens had a right and responsibility to overthrow an unjust government. In the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson says, "That whenever any form of

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688 Words | 3 Pages

The declaration of independence states that “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”. What Thomas Jefferson meant by that is, we have rights that cannot be taken away by anyone, not even the government. John Locke had an influence this by stating, “Men have rights by their nature… We give up our

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Locke’s justification of revolt, based off of the theory of natural rights, was what gave Thomas Jefferson the background in writing The Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence from the declaration written by John

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Thomas Jefferson wrote 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.” (“Brainy Quotes”). These words written by Thomas Jefferson inspired all the Americans that fought for independence. The Declaration of Independence contained these words that separated the colonies from Britain, creating a new country. Thomas Jefferson contributed to the start of a great country in which freedom is entitled to every citizen (“Thomas Jefferson”, O’Brien).

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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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The Declaration of Independence states: “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 is a written version of our rights as humans in America. It is saying that every person is equal, with equal opportunities. The people are given rights at birth that can not be taken away. The document gives all the “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” as basic human rights.

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The move to a free market economic system was a slow process for the Soviet Union. Originally the people of the Soviet Union got angry and protested their government because they were unable to buy the goods and services that they wanted. In response to his people’s anger the leader of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, stated to pass legal bills that would allow people more freedom. Soon the new bills added together and formed a democratic system that turned into a free market for goods and services. After the free market was put into place many ethnic groups broke off of the Soviet Union and formed their own countries.

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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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Locke’s definition of liberty depends on whether the person is in the state of nature, in which people are “without subordination or subjection” (Locke 101) or if they have formed into a commonwealth, or whenever “any number of men are so united into one society, as to quit every one his executive power of the law of nature, and resign it to the public” (Locke 137-38). In the Lockean state of nature, men have a “freedom to order their actions and dispose of their possessions and persons” (Locke 101). This freedom is still limited by what Locke refers to as the law of nature, or that “no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions” (Locke 102). He also defines the liberty of the state of nature as “not to be under any will or legislative authority of man” (Locke 109). In his form of commonwealth, there is more limited freedom, in which liberty is to “be under no legislative power, but that established, by the consent of the commonwealth” (Locke 110).

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“[John] Locke emphasized that, because government is established for this purpose, it is ‘obliged’ to secure every individual's life, liberty, and property. When it acts contrary to this trust, the government is dissolved and the community regains the right to establish a new form of government. Such dissolution occurs, in Locke's view, where the government invades the rights of subjects, or where it fails to use its power to secure those rights” according to professor S.J. Heyman in his article in the Duke Law Journal. The government’s obligation to secure every individuals life, liberty, and property is its national interest. If humanitarian needs of foreigners are ever placed above this the social contract between the government and the citizen is

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The State of Nature, although a state wherein there is no civil authority or government to punish people for transgressions against laws, is not a state without morality. To Locke, persons are assumed to be equal to one another in such a state, and therefore equally capable of discovering and being bound by the Law of Nature. The Law of Nature, which is on Locke’s view the basis of all morality, and given to us by God, commands that we not harm others with regards to their life, health, liberty, or possessions. This is because we all belong equally to God, and because we cannot take away that which is rightfully His, we are prohibited from harming one another. So, the State of Nature is a state of liberty where persons are free to pursue their own interests and plans, free from interference, and, because of the Law of Nature and the restrictions that it imposes upon persons, it is relatively peaceful.

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