Comparison of Locke and Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson's Declaration of Independence is a representative piece of Enlightenment writing that demonstrates the great influence that the work of John Locke must have had on him. Jefferson adapted Locke's concept of an inherent "contract" between the rulers and the ruled, explaining how rulers only rule through the consent of the governed. This means that they enjoy the "right" to change the terms of this contract. He used this idea of a contract to justify the revolt against King George III and the formation of an independent confederation of former colonies that became the United States. He further elaborated that slavery was either a violation of "natural rights," possible only through the consent of the enslaved, or through a continuous state of "war" between ruler and ruled.[1] Jefferson does not refer to slavery explicitly but his acquisition and adaptation of another concept of Locke's demonstrates that slavery must have been on his mind.Perhaps the most famous phrase of all in this Declaration is that "all men are created equal and that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable Rights; that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."[2] This phrase reflects the ideas within Locke
A contemporary of Mott's and an ally, Frederick Douglass, utilized a similar strategy when he made his speech four years later on the "Fourth of July." The Fourth of July is, of course, the day on which the Declaration of Independence was read out before the crowds, the first day on which Jefferson's Declaration of "natural rights" was given voice and a mass audience. Douglass, as an African-American, was just as aware of slavery as Jefferson was when he wrote the Declaration, but Douglass was far more dedicated to its eradication. Douglass drew upon the symbolism of the day, symbolism shared across the country to condemn the nation for declaring on that day that "all men are created equal" while they continued to hold men in bondage, to hold them as property. He asked of those attending his speech, "Would you have me argue that man is entitled to liberty? That he is the rightful owner of his own body? You have already declared it.... What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July?"[5] Douglass references the ideas celebrated on this holiday to show how Americans failed to live up to them. He asks how it is possible for a slave to celebrate the 4th of July, a day on which all men are created equal when the reality of their daily existence made a lie of this assertion. He condemned and he cajoled his audience with evidence of their national hypocrisy and he challenged them to fulfill the promise of Jefferson's words much as Jefferson exhorted his countrymen to support his revolution by borrowing Locke's ideas. 's Second Treatise of Government that there are certain "natural rights" that all people possess. Locke, however, conceived and defined these rights differently from the way Jefferson did. For Locke the "natural rights" were for "life, liberty and property." It is very possible that it was because of the existence of slavery that Jefferson changed t
Some common words found in the essay are:
Locke Jefferson, Jefferson Jefferson's, July5 Douglass, George III, Declaration Douglass, Jefferson Mott, Locke Locke's, King Jr, Founding Fathers, Falls Convention, natural rights, jefferson's words, created equal, words common, words jefferson, endowed creator inalienable, fourth july, thomas jefferson, words generations, day created equal, frederick douglass, created equal endowed, king jr, luther king jr, martin luther king,
Approximate Word count = 1261
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
|
