Aristotle, Hobbes, Locke
Aristotle, Locke, Hobbes and the U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence
It has been said that authors such as Aristotle, Locke and Hobbes greatly influenced the "Founding Fathers" of the United States Constitution. The purpose of this paper is to explore the writings of these authors as well as review the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution and to form an opinion as to whether or not it is believable that the above statement is correct.
Aristotle, Thomas Hobbes and John Locke have long been considered as Political Science writers. Aristotle's works were recorded as being around 350 B.C.E., John Locke, in 1619 and Thomas Hobbes in the year of 1689 to 1690. The insight which they show evidence of gives a clear picture that long has man contemplated freedom and written eloquently of liberty.
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was signed July 4, 1776. This was a declaration which preceded the writing and signing of the U.S. Constitution. In the Declaration of Independence the following excerpt was penned:
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 that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That, to secure these rights governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed."
It is very clear that the "Founding Fathers" of the U.S. were making as a foundation for the government of the U.S. To be infused with the power of the people and not of their own volition. Further those men were created with God-given rights that could not be taken from them by a governing body. In exploring the writings of Aristotle we find that the Declaration of Independence most certainly does contain the essence of what Aristotle wrote in the year 350 B.C.E.
II. Aristotle
The following is an excerpt from the essay "Politics":
The previous remarks are quite enough to show that the rule of a master is not a constitutional rule, and that all the different kinds of rule are not, as some affirm, the same with each other. For there is one rule exercised over subjects who are by nature free, another over subjects who are by nature slaves. The rule of a household is anarchy, for every house is under one head: whereas constitutional rule is a government of freemen and equals."(Aristotle 350 BCE)
Clearly, the "Founding Fathers" were students of Aristotle. Government is regulated not just in the Declaration of Independence but also in the work of Aristotle as an institution which is in service to the people. The government is not a thing of power in and of itself, but has no power except that which the people give to it.
III. John Locke
The following is an excerpt of the writing of John Locke:
The natural liberty of man is to be free from any superior power on earth and not to be under the will or legislative authority of man, but to have only the law of nature for his rule. The liberty of man, in society, is to be under no other legislative power but that established by consent in the commonwealth, nor under the dominion of any will, or restraint of any law, but what the legislative shall enact, according to the trust put in it."
How familiar the writings of John Locke sound to the ears of the reader. Surely one can assume that the "Founding Fathers" were indeed, if not students of the works of John Locke, at least had read his works with great attention to what was penned concerning government rule over individuals and the basis for freedom and liberty being an inalienable right to all people.
IV. Thomas Hobbes
Thomas Hobbes, although he sounds as though he agrees with the principles of freedom, in actuality was of the belief that without government that man in his "self-seeking" state, or what Hobbes calls "The State of Nature" would be highly uncivilized and ruthless. Hobbes use of words can easily bring the reader to believe that he is in agreement with Aristotle and Locke if the words that he writes are not read carefully as to their meaning. Hobbes seems to believe that man is only as free as he allows the governing body to decide for him, while at the same time, stating that man needs to be ruled over in order to experience freedom in any capacity due to man's innate selfish nature. Hobbes states the following in his work "The Leviathan":
But as men, for the attaining of peace and conservation of themselves thereby,...
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