John Locke And The Declaration Of The Rights Of Man

To enlighten is to give intellectual or spiritual light to someone. The Enlightenment period in Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries was an intellectual movement that inspired thought, question, and reason in people across the continent. It was the age of new ideals that forever altered the course of our world today and will always be a time where tradition was no longer the primary way in which people led their lives. Several Enlightenment thinkers such as Voltaire, Rousseau, and Hobbes have influenced multiple government systems to reform their ways by inspiring revolution. Natural Rights creates a democratic republic government where supreme power rests with the people and allows them to elect representatives to operate their country, therefore upsetting citizens since absolute monarchies rule. Natural Rights spawns uprisings and revolution in countries because people believe it to be their right to have shared power which is evident through multiple documents such as The English Bill of Rights, U.S. Constitution, and The Declaration of the Rights of Man. John Locke’s idea of Natural Rights created a whole new aspect of how the government should be constructed. Natural Rights is the freedoms people are born with and should be protected by the government, if not then the citizens have the right to overthrow the government since their rights are not being preserved. This Enlightenment ideal is an important aspect in both today’s world and during revolutionary periodsShow MoreRelatedThe Enlightenment Theory Of John Locke1627 Words   |  7 PagesEnlightenment theory philosophies of John Locke offered a future that could drastically change government, economic and social ideals. Thomas Jefferson borrowed liberally from the enlightenment theory from John Locke, specifically focusing on Locks theories of the equality of men, natural rights, and that people should have a say on how the government treated people. Jefferson created a draft document created a bold experiment, America. The enlightenment philosophy of John Locke th eorized that that men wereRead MoreClassical Liberalism And The Enlightenment1244 Words   |  5 PagesPaper #1: Classical Liberalism Classical liberalism is the transition from focusing on government to focusing on the rights of individuals. This transition came about during the time of the Enlightenment in the eighteenth century. The Enlightenment period was when man started to have more faith in his own reasoning. People began to look for evidence on their beliefs themselves and to find proof on these beliefs, so that they could come up with their own opinions on things. One way that they didRead MoreEssay John Lockes Theories in The Declaration of Independence779 Words   |  4 PagesJohn Lockes Theories in The Declaration of Independence When looking at the Declaration of Independence and the justifications which Jefferson used in order to encourage the dissolve of the ties between the United Colonies and Great Britain, it becomes apparent how much of the theories of John Locke that Jefferson used as the basis for his argument. Focusing particularly on the second paragraph of the Declaration, the arguments for the equality of each man and the formation and destructionRead MoreThe Influence of Locke’s Social Contract on the Declaration of Independence869 Words   |  4 PagesInfluence of Locke’s Social Contract on The Declaration of Independence During the 1700s the American settlers suffered the abuses from their Mother England, and constantly fought through the rebellious spirit that lived within them. As their last hopes for independence dissolved by the greediness of the king, a man raised his voice, encouraging his subalterns to defend their freedoms. Richard Henry Lee proclaimed, â€Å"that these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent StatesRead MoreClassical Liberalism: Two Treatises on Government by John Locke1152 Words   |  5 Pagesmajority not the rich elite. John Locke, and his book Two Treatises on Government, impacted the Enlightenment by spreading the ideals around the world, which influenced revolutions. Locke wrote that â€Å"the state of nature has a law of nature to govern it, which obliges every one: and reason, which is that law, teaches all mankind, who will but consult it, that being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions† (Locke. sect 6). This ideal was theRead MoreEssay On John Locke And Thomas Hobbes1076 Words   |  5 Pages John Locke and Thomas Hobbes John Locke and Thomas Hobbes, two English Enlightenment philosophers, were both very influential politically and philosophically despite having almost opposite beliefs. While each individually influenced later documents and events such as the Declaration of Independence and the American Revolution, they had an equally big impact in history. Today, everyone recognizes natural rights and the modern system of government uses social contracts every day. Thomas HobbesRead MoreJohn Locke And The American Revolution1720 Words   |  7 PagesJohn Locke: A Key to the American Revolution It is widely accepted that the American Revolution was quite different for its time. Some may argue the English revolution was similar in a sense of greatly reducing the power of monarchy, however at this time there had not been many quite like it in the sense of a revolution completely doing away with monarchy. In this revolution we saw a rising movement from the people to oppose monarchy and demand a rule by the people. In this revolution we sawRead MoreEssay on John Locke: Illuminating Path to Life, Liberty, and Property642 Words   |  3 Pagestruths 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† (â€Å"Declaration†). These words, spoken by a wise and prominent man by the name of Thomas Jefferson, were greatly influenced by the Enlightenment’s most profound philosopher, John Locke. Since the beginning of Enlightenm ent to the 21st century, Locke’s ideas have been behind countless innovators, philosophersRead MoreJohn Lockes Influence on the Founding Fathers Essay1470 Words   |  6 Pageson many of the principles taught by John Locke. Many of the principles of Locke’s Second Treatise of Government may easily be discovered in the Declaration of Independence with some minor differences in wording and order. Many of the ideas of the proper role of government, as found in the Constitution of the United States, may be discovered in the study of Locke. In order to understand the foundation of the United States, it is vital that one studies Locke. A few ideas from Hume may be foundRead MoreJean Jacques Rousseau And The Declaration Of Independence Essay1459 Words   |  6 PagesLike The Social Contract, the Declaration of Independence is a document that sets out to explain the relationship between a government and its people based on an an understanding of that relationship. The D eclaration of Independence was composed by Thomas Jefferson in 1766, and shares many of the same ideals as The Social Contract. The Social Contract and the Declaration of Independence are more similar than different because Jean-Jacques Rousseau influenced John Locke, whose Social Contract Theories