In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson made the case for independence from Great Britain by applying ideas from the Enlightenment. Tell which ideas in the Declaration of Independence were inspired by the Enlightenment and explain what those ideas meant to Jefferson.
Some of the ideas from the Enlightenment that were incorporated into the Declaration of Independence include the belief in natural rights, the social contract theory, and the right to revolution. Jefferson believed that individuals possess inherent and inalienable rights, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, which are bestowed by nature and cannot be taken away by any government. The social contract theory, developed by Enlightenment thinkers like John Locke, argued that governments derive their power from the consent of the governed, and that people have the right to alter or abolish governments that violate their rights.
In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson applied several Enlightenment ideas to make the case for independence from Great Britain. One prominent idea was the concept of natural rights, which Jefferson articulated as "Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." This idea, inspired by philosophers like John Locke, meant that individuals possessed inherent rights that could not be taken away by a government. Additionally, Jefferson emphasized the idea of social contract, suggesting that governments derived their power from the consent of the governed, and if a government failed to protect the rights of its citizens, it could be overthrown.
The Declaration of Independence incorporates several Enlightenment ideas that influenced Thomas Jefferson's case for independence from Great Britain. One key idea is that all individuals possess inherent natural rights, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, which Jefferson derived from Enlightenment philosopher John Locke. Jefferson also emphasized the importance of popular sovereignty, the idea that the authority of the government stems from the consent of the governed, reflecting Enlightenment thinker Jean-Jacques Rousseau's concept of the social contract. Additionally, the Declaration highlights the right of the people to alter or abolish an oppressive government, a principle influenced by Enlightenment notions of a government's duty to protect citizens' rights and the concept of a just rebellion.
