John Locke and "The Enlightenment"

John Locke was an 17th century English philosopher. He was one of the most important thinkers during The Enlightenment. Locke influenced many of the American Revolutionaries. He believed that human nature was based on reason and tolerance. He believed that human nature could make people be selfish. He believed that in a state of nature the only right that men had was the right to defend their lives, health, liberty, or possessions. In a state of nature, war is common and private property is difficult to protect so in order to avoid this they enter civil or political societies. Locke also supported a governmental separation of powers and thought that people had the right to revolt against a tyrannical government.

The Declaration of Independence was a document that explained why the 13 American colonies wanted to become independent from Great Britain. It was written by Thomas Jefferson in 1776 and was highly influenced by Locke's ideas. Jefferson wrote that all men were created equal and that all men had the rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Governments are formed to protect these rights. Their power comes from the consent of the people who are governed and can lose their power if the people are unhappy with it.