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Human Nature and the Declaration of Independence by Jake Repp I would like to show that the view of human nature that is shown in The Declaration of Independence is taken more from the Bible and that that view is in disagreement with two of the three ebay given in class. The Biblical perspective of man is that he was created by a divine Creator with a specific plan in mind and made in the image of his Creator. Men are entitled to the pursuit of happiness but also required by the Laws of Nature and Natures God to be the just attendants of the land and of the governed. The Nature of man is sinful so that they must be governed but those who govern must be accountable to God just as the founding fathers were. God is Sovereign over men as the final Judge.
The Declaration of Independence is a document co-written by the founding fathers in order to declare their independence of the Crown of Britain. They believe this to be within their rights indeed upon them by their Creator. Believing that they were under religious persecution and certain forms of absolute tyranny from Britian the founding fathers felt it was necessary to break the bonds that connected them to the monarchy. Not only did they feel they had the God given right to do that but they also based their arguments on the workings of governments of the time and contemporary theories of government of writers and political-social thinkers of their time.
The three essays that were given to us in class, Politics by Aristotle, Of Commonwealth by Thomas Hobbes, and Of the Limits of Government by John Locke are all very intersting essays on how government is supposed to function. Although the founding fathers probably read all three of these essays and similar philosophical thought went into the writing of The Declaration of Independence I think that the only essay of the really used by the founding fathers was Of the Limits of Government by John Locke. Unfortunately the version of this essay given to us in class was truncated and consisted actually of two different essays written by John Locke... Thomas Hobbes [ 1588 - 1679 ] is the founder of the theories of Hobbism which calls on absolute monarchy in order to deal with what he calls inherently selfish, aggrandizing nature of humanity. Aristotle[ 384 - 322 B. C. ] was a Greek philosopher who studied under Plato.
Aristotelian logic (Aristotle's deductive means of reasoning) especially syllogism dealt with relationship between propositions in terms of their form instead of their content. By using this kind of deductive reasoning with a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion; for example, All human beings are mortal, the major press, I am a human being, the minor premise, therefore, I am mortal, the conclusion Aristotle found all of his truth. I cant connect Aristotle's view of human nature with that of the Founding Fathers and since an omnipotent deity was not feasible for Aristotle (since he couldnt see it and therefor couldnt belive in it) he comes to a different conclusion that doesnt agree what the founding fathers said. Aristotle's begins by analyzing the political structure starting at what he sees as the most basic of human unions (man and woman). Aristotle writes, In the first place there must be a union of those who can not exist without each other; namely of male and female, that the race may continue (and this union which is formed not of deliberate purpose, but because, in common with other animals and with plants, mankind have a natural desire to leave behind an image of themselves) The first difference between The Declaration of Independence and Politics is seen when you compare this quote with one from The Declaration of Independence, We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights The founding fathers saw the deliberate purpose of a Creator in nature where Aristotle sees mankind on par with plants and animals. Aristotle explains that we have a natural desire to leave behind an image of ourselves.
Man is an electrochemical machine that operates simply on what happens around him and, like an animal, finds a suitable mate and joins himself to her to make further offspring of himself. Following this kind of thinking, governments join themselves together just for the purpose of making war later making treaties and finally making more governments to further this very productive cycle. Aristotle goes to make other assumptions which are clearly in contradiction with the aspects of The Declaration of Independence that I discussed in the first paragraph. Aristotle's writes, The state is by nature clearly prior to the family and to the individual, since the whole is of necessity prior to the part According to the Biblical view of man, God cares more about the individual than about the state and man is created in the image of God in the first place.
The Declaration of Independence states in order for the individuals to secure their unalienable (that is God given) rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Of Commonwealth could only be related to the thinking of the founding fathers in a most basic way to their ideals. Thomas Hobbes also seems to be a syllogistic thinker like Aristotle one, because he never thinks above elemental, getting his most basic logical conclusions from observations of nature and number two, for thinking along philosophical lines that dont agree with the Biblical perspective. Hobes sees man as an elevated creature capable of self- governing, self-evolving conduct. Hobes doesnt understand the Biblical view of fallen man, The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? (Jeremiah 17: 9) Hobbes also fails to see the need for a separation of powers in Government when he talks about an absolute monarchy and the Commonwealth being the solution to government. The idea of seperation of powers is a biblical idea that come from Isaiah, For the Lord is our Judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king. (Isaiah 33: 22) This is the system that our forefathers set up and Im sure glad that Clinton is not my Judge, Lawgiver and King all in one.
Baron Charles Louis Joseph de Secondat Montesquieu [ 1689 - 1755 ] a French professor, author and legal philosopher who wrote the book Spirit of the Laws (which greatly impacted the American government, and was the source most frequently quoted by the Founding Fathers, next to the Bible) on the subject of separating of powers in relation to human nature wrote, Nor is there liberty if the power of judging is not separated from legislative power and from executive power. If it [the power of judging] were joined to legislative power, the power over life and liberty of the citizens would be arbitrary, for the judge would be the legislator. If it were joined to the executive power, the judge could have the force of an oppressor. All would be lost if the same body of principal men exercised these three powers. Also in comparison to the ideology of monarchy and commonwealth of Thomas Hobbes, Montesquieu wrote, The principles of Christianity, deeply engraved on the heart, would be infinitely more powerful than the false honor of monarchies, than the humane virtues of republics, or the servile fear of despotic states.
John Locke's view of human nature and politics greatly influenced the founding fathers in many of their other writings including The Constitution of the United States. In the his treatise Of Civil Government Locke writes, For Men being all the Workmanship of one Omnipotent, and infinitely wise Maker they are his Property Those Grants God made of the World to Adam and to Noah, and his Sonshas given the Earth to the Children of Men, given it to Mankind in common also given them reason make use of it to the best Advantage of Life and Convenience. John Locke's view of the perfectly governed body as one in which all men answer to God can is seen when in the same treatise he writes, It is also evident what liberty remains to men in reference to their eternal salvation, and that is, that every one should do what he in his conscience is persuaded to be acceptable to the Almighty, on whose good pleasure and acceptance depends his eternal happiness; for obedience is due in the first place to God, and afterwards to the laws. It seems pretty clear to me when I read The Declaration of Independence and when I read quotes from the founding fathers and their contemporaries that it was the work of strong Bible believing men that first made the monumental leap in breaking union with Britian. Unfortunately their words and lives have gone by the wayside in our hearts and minds.
Instead of learning about George Washingtons famous words of Christian faith or how he emerged unscathed from battle with his uniform riddled with bullet holes our History books teach us all about how he could not lie when he chopped down the cherry tree. If men such as Hobes and Aristotle could have even welled up enough courage in their cold and timid souls 200 years ago to break the tyranny of the British, I strongly believe that our country would have quickly decayed in immorality and greed. So whither you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. (1 Cor 10: 31) Christianity and the Constitution p. 51, 53; Americas Providential History p. 156; Myth of Separation p. 195 - 96 367
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Research essay sample on Declaration Of Independence View Of Human Nature
