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"life, liberty and property". But the "change" to "pursuit of happiness" was NOT something Jefferson himself dreamed up. Rather the idea also went back to Locke's discussion of rights -- and the WORDING in the Declaration of Independence was based on the way this was all expressed a month before that document by George Mason.Part of the solution is to clarify what these terms MEANT to Locke and the founding fathers -- neither the mention of "property" nor of "happiness" means quite what WE tend to think.

By "property," Locke meant MORE than land and goods that could be sold, given away, or even confiscated by the government under certain circumstances. Property also referred to ownership of one's self, which included A RIGHT TO PERSONAL WELL BEING. Jefferson, however, substituted the phrase, "pursuit of happiness," which Locke and others had used to describe FREEDOM OF OPPORTUNITY as well as the duty to help those in want.

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12y ago
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13y ago

The pursuit of happiness means the right to search for happiness.

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Q: In the declaration of independence what does the pursuit of happiness mean?
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Continue Learning about American Government

What does the declaration mean by governments are created to secure these rights?

Life, Liberty, and Pursuit of Happiness.


What does life liberty and the pursuit of happiness mean in the Declaration of Independence?

Everyone just wanted to have Liberty and do what they wanted Life everyone had to fight for their life at their own risk. Everyone who fought at the war literally gave their life for us to have out Life,Liberty and Happiness for us today to do what we want to choose what we want to wear and what we want to eat noone says oh you cant wear this today or you have to eat this and nothing else today. they fought for us to give us what we want.


What does good government mean in the declaration of independence?

in the declaration of independence what is good government means


What did the Declaration of Independence mean?

That the colonist wanted independence from Britain .


What does with certain inalienable rights mean?

This is a line from the US declaration of Independence from Great Britain. "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" It is an expansion on a train of thought in British (and therefore American) legal thinking at the time, that a Government cannot take away certain rights nor can people voluntarily give them up this is what "unalienable" means - "can't be got rid of" so it means basically "people have some rights which are untouchable by anyone" the Declaration goes on to list some of these rights "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness"

Related questions

Jefferson's phrase the pursuit of happiness stated in the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence was more specifically interpreted by the colonists to mean the right to?

property


What does the natural rights mean in the declaration of independence?

That the government should protect the rights of their citizens.


What does the declaration mean by governments are created to secure these rights?

Life, Liberty, and Pursuit of Happiness.


What does life liberty and the pursuit of happiness mean in the Declaration of Independence?

Everyone just wanted to have Liberty and do what they wanted Life everyone had to fight for their life at their own risk. Everyone who fought at the war literally gave their life for us to have out Life,Liberty and Happiness for us today to do what we want to choose what we want to wear and what we want to eat noone says oh you cant wear this today or you have to eat this and nothing else today. they fought for us to give us what we want.


What did John locked have to do with the Declaration of Independence?

John Locke (Not John Locked) was the inventer of The Social Contract. Locke's Contract states that people had certain unalienable rights, mainly life, liberty, and property. The authors of the Declaration of Independence were protesting British rule over the American colonies, claiming that the British government had violated these rights. (The Declaration of Independence features "the pursuit of happiness" instead of property as the third unalienable right) *Unalienable rights mean rights that are automatically given to everyone*


Where does it say that everyone has the right to pursue happiness?

The Declaration of Independence, written by Thomas Jefferson in 1776, states that all individuals are entitled to certain unalienable rights, including "Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." This phrase embodies the fundamental belief in the right of individuals to seek personal fulfillment and well-being in their lives.


What happened after the declaration of independence had been published in the Independence Hall?

What does the Declaration of Independence mean


What does good government mean in the declaration of independence?

in the declaration of independence what is good government means


What are 2 basic human rights stated in the declaration of independence?

The right to life; the right to liberty hope this helps


What did the Declaration of Independence mean?

That the colonist wanted independence from Britain .


What does with certain inalienable rights mean?

This is a line from the US declaration of Independence from Great Britain. "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" It is an expansion on a train of thought in British (and therefore American) legal thinking at the time, that a Government cannot take away certain rights nor can people voluntarily give them up this is what "unalienable" means - "can't be got rid of" so it means basically "people have some rights which are untouchable by anyone" the Declaration goes on to list some of these rights "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness"


What do the rights mean in the declaration of independence?

what is fair