Locke And The American Political System Essay Example For Students

Locke And The American Political System Essay John Locke and his ideas about philosophy was a major influence on the Americanpolitical system, not to mention many other political systems, too. His ideas were veryuniversal, especially those regarding rights and freedom, two topics for which the UnitedStates of America is best known. Locke claimed that ?there is a law of nature governinghuman beings and that it is knowable by human reason?(Lavine, 136). This law of natureis the basis of American politics, one by which we all live by today. This law included theidea that all human beings are equal, ?possessing the same natural rights of life, liberty,and property ? and that all human beings have the ?same obligation not to infringe on therights of other?(136). Most of laws and justifications Americans live by today are basedon exactly these arguments.John Lockes statements about this law of nature for all human beings justifiedmany revolutions, including the American revolution of 1776. Because this revolution hadsuch a great impact on American political system, it is clear just how significant Lockesbeliefs were, and still are. His ideas were even clearly put in the American Declaration ofIndependence. In Jeffersons words, the Declaration of Independence states: ?We holdthese truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed bytheir Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and thepursuit of happiness ? Today, the American people may not recognize it at all, but theydo all live by the laws revealed by John Locke.