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John Locke's philosophical influence on the Declaration of Independence
Many of the fundamental ideas and doctrines of the United States government were greatly influenced by the English philosopher, John Locke. His writings were a major influence on the Founders of the United States of America and many other Americans seeking freedom. Locke’s philosophical ideas helped inspire them to make a stand against their English oppressors. This new government was revolutionary and a great experiment in Liberal Democracy. The ideas of Locke and other philosophers are fused into the documents and ideals on which the country was founded. Specifically, John Locke’s philosophy of government, freedom, and natural rights challenged the power of England’s monarchy in Europe over the colonies in America. The ideas written in Locke’s “Second Treatise on Government” had an especially large impact on one of the most important documents in American history, The Declaration of Independence.
Written in two parts, the “First Treatise on Government” was a criticism of “The Divine Right of Kings” and a refutation of Monarchy. The next and more influential “Second Treatise of Government” is his solution to monarchy. This solution consists of dissolving the corrupt system and creating his ideal government to take its place. He addresses the reasons for his theory and considers his ideas from many angles. In these writings, he expresses many views that were seen as extremely radical and revolutionary when they were published in the late 1600’s. Although John Locke was well known during his life, he chose to publish his “Treatise on Government” anonymously. This act in and of itself shows how radical these ideas were at the time he published them. It was not until after his death, that it was revealed that he was the author of the writings. Locke clearly wanted his ideas to be communicated to the world and influence others thinking. Luckily, his ideas would be put to good use almost
Many of the fundamental ideas and doctrines of the United States government were greatly influenced by the English philosopher, John Locke. His writings were a major influence on the Founders of the United States of America and many other Americans seeking freedom. Locke’s philosophical ideas helped inspire them to make a stand against their English oppressors. This new government was revolutionary and a great experiment in Liberal Democracy. The ideas of Locke and other philosophers are fused into the documents and ideals on which the country was founded. Specifically, John Locke’s philosophy of government, freedom, and natural rights challenged the power of England’s monarchy in Europe over the colonies in America. The ideas written in Locke’s “Second Treatise on Government” had an especially large impact on one of the most important documents in American history, The Declaration of Independence.
Written in two parts, the “First Treatise on Government” was a criticism of “The Divine Right of Kings” and a refutation of Monarchy. The next and more influential “Second Treatise of Government” is his solution to monarchy. This solution consists of dissolving the corrupt system and creating his ideal government to take its place. He addresses the reasons for his theory and considers his ideas from many angles. In these writings, he expresses many views that were seen as extremely radical and revolutionary when they were published in the late 1600’s. Although John Locke was well known during his life, he chose to publish his “Treatise on Government” anonymously. This act in and of itself shows how radical these ideas were at the time he published them. It was not until after his death, that it was revealed that he was the author of the writings. Locke clearly wanted his ideas to be communicated to the world and influence others thinking. Luckily, his ideas would be put to good use almost