The Influence Of John Locke On The Constitution

The Founders were forward thinking, educated men that wanted to spread Enlightenment to the New World. When drafting the Constitution, the Founder wanted to incorporate the Philosophical idea of some great thinkers; one such philosopher was John Locke. John Locke believed that the government’s power should be limited, meaning “strong enough to protect the interest of the people, but not strong enough to threaten those rights.” This philosophy is spelled out in the Ninth of Constitution. The Ninth Amendment states, “The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain tights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.” In other words, there are other rights people are entitled, aside from those clearly listed in the Constitution, and even though these rights are not detailed, it does not give the government the right to violate them.