Our Declaration of Independence was written to build support for the American Revolution. However, it is also an excellent work of political philosophy. It begins with a statement about truth
“We hold these truths to be self evident”
Next comes a statement about human nature
“all men are created equal “
Self-evident means obvious
Do you agree? Is it obvious?
Does “men” mean mankind, humankind or just men
Jefferson was a slave owner. Did he mean just white men?
What do his words mean today? What do they mean to us?
Then a statement of core values
“and are endowed by their creator with unalienable rights among which are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”
What do those rights mean to you?
Are you able to exercise them freely?
He mentioned “creator”. Does that make us a religious nation?
Next comes a statement about the purpose of government
“to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men”
Do you agree that protecting individual rights is the purpose of
Government? How active should government be in protecting
our rights
Also a statement regarding the legitimacy of government
“ deriving their just powers from the consent of the government”
For me, this a defense of popular sovereignty. The power and authority
of government comes from the sovereign people.
Finally, an argument regarding the right of the people to change their government
“whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it”
Is this a defense of violent revolution, or an argument for peaceful
change?
While these are the words of Thomas Jefferson it should be noted that these views were shared by most of his fellow patriots. Of course, the basic argument was formulated by the British philosopher John Locke almost a century before.
While we have not always lived up to these ideals, they continue to inspire us and provide principles to guide us. Or do they? What do you think?
Is the Declaration an accurate description of American Democracy?
Are these noble ideals that we have not always lived up to?
Are these noble ideals that we have rarely lived up to?
Are these words sheer hypocrisy.
Jefferson “owned”eighty three human beings
A third of the men who signed the Declaration were slave-holders
By the way, the Declaration Of Independence is not part of the Constitution.
Finally, how do these words relate to recent and current events?