Friday, September 18, 2009

Thomas Jefferson, Plagiarizes John Locke?

Thomas Jefferson, the author of the Declaration of Independence, looked at John Locke before he wrote the Declaration of Independence. In the Beginning of the Declaration, Thomas Jefferson says that "Men are endowed with creation unalienable rights; these are among Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. In John Locke’s Second Treatise of Civil Government, He says that a man is endowed to Life, Liberty, and Property. Thomas Jefferson took these ideas from John Locke and reformed them to be used in his own purpose.

In a sense, Thomas Jefferson also took the idea of letting the people run the society. John Locke says that everyone in the society helps the society out. This allows for the people to rule, not the government. But, Thomas Jefferson’s thinking of the government, is that the people rule, but elect certain officials to govern for them. They choose these officials by voting and they speak for the people. Thomas Jefferson obviously looked at John Locke’s writings, along with other earlier political thinkers.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

John Locke: Second Treatise, of Civil Government

John Locke describes that the human race has states of Nature. The first state of Nature, is that, there should be a common consent of what is the standard of right and wrong. The Socond, is that there must be a indifferent judge in the states of Nature. People whjo are partial to themselves would not work for the job. Lastly, there must be correct execution/punishment when a man breaks the laws.
Locke believes that the individuals give the society the power. Which i believe to be true. The government shoul not have all the power so that the people are forced to an un-free world. If that were to happen in America, i would move to Europe (which i really do not wish to do)