Thursday, October 1, 2009

Declaration of Independence: Locke's Influence on Jefferson

Was Thomas Jefferson influenced by John Locke?

Yes, I believe Thomas Jefferson was influenced by John Locke because 1. Protection from the government. 2. There is an agreement between the two that the people have the power to rebel if the government does not represent them correctly. Because these ideas correspond with each other it is very likely that Jefferson read Locke and was influenced y him when writing the Declaration of Independence.

There are some similarities between the two in their writing that bring across the same idea. While Locke said, "no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions" Jefferson tweaked into something more appropriate for the Declaration, transforming it to "life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness."

There are many similarities between John Locke and Thomas Jefferson and I think it is clear that Locke influenced Jefferson.

1 comment:

  1. Nice job here. I like the idea of Jefferson "tweaking Locke". Try to be a little less conversational in your tone. Written communication on these topics needs to be a bit more formal. 14/15

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