Philosophy of the Declaration of Independence

One of the most famous documents in US history is the Declaration of Independence. While it covered the bases (that is, telling England that the colonies were going to create their own country), it's gone down in history for its striking language and philosophical stances. Many important quotes also come from the Declaration of Independence!

The ideas behind these quotes and the Declaration of Independence didn't come out of thin air. We'll take a look at the historical context and some of the Enlightenment philosophers who then inspired the American Revolution and the Declaration of Independence.

Thomas Jefferson Declaration of Independence

Thomas Jefferson is the primary author of the Declaration of Independence. As the relationship between the colonies and the crown deteriorated throughout 1775 and 1776, the Second Continental Congress decided that they needed to declare independence from England once and for all.

Jefferson was tasked with writing the first draft of the Declaration. Throughout his studies, Jefferson fell under the influence of famous Enlightenment thinkers such as John Locke and Montesquieu, and their ideas around the social contract, natural rights, and separation of powers. Throughout the Declaration of Independence, the fingerprints of these theorists and others can be found in the wording used by Jefferson, and their overall influence on not just the Declaration of Independence but the creation of the United States more generally cannot be understated.

A painting depicting the committee, led by Thomas Jefferson, that drafted the Declaration of Independence, Wikimedia Commons

Enlightenment Philosophy in the Declaration of Independence

The Enlightenment is generally considered to be the 17th and 18th centuries, originating in Europe. In the American colonies (later the United States), it was mid-18th century to the early 19th century.

"Enlightenment" sounds like a pretty lofty word to describe a whole 200-year period! To understand the Enlightenment and why it was so revolutionary, we need to understand how the world operated before then. In Europe, countries were ruled by the monarch - kings and queens. Most monarchs had little, if any, limitations on their power. The church was also very powerful, both as a social and religious leader but also in its ability to influence politics.

As time went on, people began to critique the absolute power exercised by monarchs. They became dissatisfied with having no control over the rulers or government who were supposed to be taking care of them. A series of tyrannical rulers in England led activists to overthrow the monarchy and implement a stronger legislative branch to keep the monarch in check.

John Locke and the Declaration of Independence

John Locke is one of the most well-known Enlightenment thinkers and is credited with inspiring Thomas Jefferson in the writing of the Declaration of Independence. His most famous work, Two Treatises of Government, was written during the Glorious Revolution in 1688. It didn't gain notoriety for several decades until it was translated to French, which is when Thomas Jefferson got a hold of it and learned about Locke's ideas. Locke may have found it ironic that his writing supporting the revolution in England would go on to inspire the American colonies to rebel against England almost a century later!

In Two Treatises of Government, Locke criticized the absolute monarchy and the idea that monarchs had the divine right to rule.

John Locke and the Social Contract

Locke also touched on the idea of the Social Contract. Even though he didn't actually use the term "Social Contract," his ideas inspired Jean-Jacques Rousseau who later on coined the term.

The idea of the social contract focuses on the implicit, unwritten contract between the rulers and the governed. Locke felt that the government only had the right to rule because of the consent of the governed. This directly contrasted with the idea of the "divine right" to rule, which said that God had given kings their authority to rule, whether their citizens wanted them or not.

We see these ideas come through in the American Revolution. Activists who wanted to declare war against England argued that the king had violated their rights, which gave them the right and duty to rebel. The Declaration of Independence specifically talks about the consent of the governed, saying:

The implicit contract meant that citizens would give up some of their power to the government, which would, in turn, provide them with benefits like infrastructure and security. Locke also felt that if the government violated its side of the contract, then citizens had the right and duty to rebel against the government. We see this idea come through in the Declaration of Independence:

Montesquieu and the Declaration of Independence

Charles Montesquieu was another influential writer during the Enlightenment. He is famous for popularizing the idea of the separation of powers, or branched government. This refers to the idea that no one person or entity should have all of the power in government. Rather, it should be separated into different entities that can each exert checks and balances on the others. Montesquieu's idea, which inspired the United States government structure, was to have three separate branches: the Executive Branch, the Legislative Branch, and the Judicial Branch.

Natural Rights and the Declaration of Independence

The idea of natural rights emerged during the Enlightenment period. Individual rights weren't a part of the deal with absolute monarchy. While some documents like the Magna Carta provided some protections for nobles, common people didn't have protection from government abuse.

During the Enlightenment, people began talking about "natural rights." Natural rights refer to those that everyone possesses and enjoys, no matter their social status, demographics, or location. Importantly, it also means that they apply regardless of whether someone is a noble or a peasant - whether they're rich or poor.

A painting depicting the committee that drafted the Declaration presenting it to the Second Continental Congress in 1776. Source: Wikimedia Commons

While several philosophers added to the understanding of natural rights, John Locke is regarded as being the most influential for the Declaration of Independence. In Two Treatises of Government, he wrote about natural rights as "life, liberty, and property."

The Declaration of Independence also references these natural rights in the famous line saying:

Right to Property

Rather than quoting the "right to property" that Locke referenced, Jefferson instead focused on the right to pursue happiness. Today we might think of property like owning a house or a plot of land, but during the Enlightenment, the meaning of property was a lot more expansive.

Throughout much of European history, the only people who could own property were nobles and aristocrats. Common people and peasants didn't have the right to own property, from the tools they used to the land they lived on. For example, a blacksmith wouldn't necessarily own the forge or the hammer he used, or a farmer wouldn't own the land he tilled. Instead of being able to own the means to make their own money, they often ended up giving a large portion of their earnings to the noble who owned the land. The idea of the "right to own property" was revolutionary because it meant that people had the right to make their own money and own their own tools to make a livelihood.