The Enlightenment philosopher who significantly influenced early American ideas on government was john Locke. He argued that individuals possess natural rights to life, liberty, and property, and that governments are formed through a social contract to protect these rights. Locke's ideas laid the foundation for the principles of democracy and individual rights embedded in the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. His emphasis on consent of the governed also shaped the relationship between citizens and their government in the emerging American political landscape.
John Locke
john Locke
John Locke
Philosopher John Locke had a tremendous impact on early American government.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a philosopher of the 18th century. His ideologies about the nature of man and his work on the social contract both had major influence on how the American Government runs today.
John Locke
John Locke.
John Locke
The English political philosopher most cited by American rebels was John Locke. His ideas on natural rights, social contract theory, and limited government greatly influenced American revolutionary thought and the founding fathers when drafting the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
John Locke was the English philosopher who heavily influenced the framers of the American Constitution with his ideas of natural rights, social contract theory, and limited government. His works, such as the "Two Treatises of Government," were instrumental in shaping the principles of individual freedoms and the rule of law in the American legal system.
John Locke had the largest impact on the American founders. His ideas on natural rights, government by consent of the governed, and the right to revolt against a tyrannical government heavily influenced the language and principles found in the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.
Check out the related links for some ideas and traditions that influenced early American government.