Natural Rights and the Legacy of John Locke
A Philosophical Foundation of the Declaration of Independence
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…”
— The Declaration of Independence (1776)
The philosophical core of the Declaration of Independence lies in the idea of natural rights—the belief that certain rights are inherent to all human beings, not granted by governments but existing independently of them. This revolutionary idea did not originate in 1776. Rather, it drew heavily from the writings of 17th-century English philosopher John Locke, whose work on natural law, liberty, and government profoundly shaped the American founding.
The Roots of Natural Rights
In his Second Treatise of Government, Locke argued that all individuals are born into a state of nature endowed with rights to life, liberty, and property. These rights are not conditional on race, class, or royal decree. Instead, they arise from human reason and the moral law embedded in nature itself.
Thomas Jefferson’s famous phrase—“life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”—clearly echoes Locke’s formulation. Though Jefferson substituted “property” with “the pursuit of happiness,” the essence remains: human beings possess rights simply by virtue of being human. No monarch, parliament, or constitution grants these rights—they preexist government.
Government as a Trust
Locke also proposed that governments are created through a social contract to protect natural rights. Their legitimacy depends entirely on their ability to secure these rights for the people. If a government fails in this duty—if it becomes abusive or oppressive—it loses its moral and political authority.
This Lockean logic is echoed explicitly in the Declaration:
“That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed…”
Such an idea stood in sharp contrast to divine right monarchy, which held that rulers were chosen by God and were above the people. The Declaration replaced this with a model in which the people are sovereign, and rulers are their servants.
“Self-Evident” Truths and Enlightenment Reason
By declaring these truths “self-evident,” the Founders appealed to Enlightenment rationalism—the belief that human beings, using reason alone, can discern moral and political truths. The rights they claimed were not tribal, religious, or regional, but universal. This move reflected a philosophical shift from inherited status to moral equality—a radical move for its time.
Although the Declaration was written by flawed men, some of whom enslaved others, the Lockean ideals it expressed transcended the men themselves. Over the centuries, this philosophical foundation became a source of inspiration not only in America, but in revolutions and civil rights movements around the world.
Conclusion
The natural rights philosophy embedded in the Declaration of Independence represents one of the greatest leaps in political ethics in modern history. By grounding human rights in reason and nature—not kings, tradition, or coercion—the Declaration asserted a moral structure upon which modern democracy could be built.
Even when the authors failed to live up to its promises, the ideas they invoked outgrew them. These principles—equality, liberty, and the rights of all—remain a powerful moral compass for every generation that seeks justice.