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Thomas Aquinas And Jean Jacques Rousseau: An Analysis

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Thomas Aquinas And Jean Jacques Rousseau: An Analysis
To start off, the Declaration of Independence mentioned many issues that were addressed by both Thomas Aquinas and Jean Jacques Rousseau, and especially by John Locke. The Declaration of Independence text begins as: “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”. (Archives.gov, 2015) The Declaration of Independence and the Constitutions were revolutionary for their time and sparked controversy in areas around the world. They led to monarchies collapsing(France) and to they still continue to be the building block as to how many democracies function today. With that being said, I …show more content…
politics is. I believe that John Locke fits the current status of laws that the United States has when it pertains to individual liberties. Thomas Aquinas focused more on morality of the people and the humanitarian type of policies and rulership whereas John Locke was more about liberty and freedom to advance oneself in life, as long as it was done legally. Thomas Aquinas also beats out Rosseau in my opinion for the best morals that aren’t overcontrolling of the populace. Rosseau is more like a socialist and that may work to a certain extent, but he tends to lack in the area of personal accountability, even without the threat of punishment. Thomas Aquinas focuses more on acting in a good, moral, and just way regardless of the social policies in place. John Locke’s beliefs would represent the current system far much more than either of the other two philosophers. I think that John Locke’s theories and beliefs are much more valid as it relates to U.S. policies when compared to those of Thomas Aquinas and Jean Jacques Rousseau because of the strong individual liberty beliefs, the idea of a consumer based ran market, and the right to own property such as land at high
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