Which of the following most inspired the inclusion in the Declaration of Independence of the right of the people to revolt against a tyrannical government?
A. the English Bill of Rights
B. Montesquieu's De l'esprit des Lois (Spirit of Laws)
C. Locke's Second Treatise
D. the Virginia House of Burgesses
Answers
Answer:
ʟᴏᴄᴋᴇ's sᴇᴄᴏɴᴅ ᴛʀᴇᴀᴛɪsᴇ ᴏɴ ᴄɪᴠɪʟ ɢᴏᴠᴇʀɴᴍᴇɴᴛ. ʟᴏᴄᴋᴇ ᴀʀɢᴜᴇᴅ ғᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ɪᴅᴇᴀ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ ᴀʀᴇ ᴜʟᴛɪᴍᴀᴛᴇʟʏ ᴛʜᴇ sᴏᴜʀᴄᴇ ᴏғ ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀɪᴛʏ ɪɴ ɢᴏᴠᴇʀɴɪɴɢ, ᴛʜᴜs ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ ᴀʟsᴏ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ʀɪɢʜᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴜɴsᴇᴀᴛ ᴀ ɢᴏᴠᴇʀɴᴍᴇɴᴛ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪs ɴᴏᴛ ᴘʀᴏᴘᴇʀʟʏ sᴇʀᴠɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴀᴛɪᴏɴ's ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ. ᴊᴏʜɴ ʟᴏᴄᴋᴇ ᴡᴀs ᴀʀɢᴜɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ɪᴅᴇᴀ ᴏғ ᴀ "sᴏᴄɪᴀʟ ᴄᴏɴᴛʀᴀᴄᴛ." ᴀᴄᴄᴏʀᴅɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ʜɪs ᴠɪᴇᴡ, ᴀ ɢᴏᴠᴇʀɴᴍᴇɴᴛ's ᴘᴏᴡᴇʀ ᴛᴏ ɢᴏᴠᴇʀɴ ᴄᴏᴍᴇs ғʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏɴsᴇɴᴛ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ ᴛʜᴇᴍsᴇʟᴠᴇs -- ᴛʜᴏsᴇ ᴡʜᴏ ᴀʀᴇ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ɢᴏᴠᴇʀɴᴇᴅ. ᴛʜɪs ᴡᴀs ᴀ ᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇ ғʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʀᴇᴠɪᴏᴜs ɪᴅᴇᴀs ᴏғ "ᴅɪᴠɪɴᴇ ʀɪɢʜᴛ ᴍᴏɴᴀʀᴄʜʏ" -- ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴀ ᴋɪɴɢ ʀᴜʟᴇᴅ ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ɢᴏᴅ ᴀᴘᴘᴏɪɴᴛᴇᴅ ʜɪᴍ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴜʟᴇʀ. ʟᴏᴄᴋᴇ ʀᴇᴘᴜᴅɪᴀᴛᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴠɪᴇᴡs ᴏғ ᴅɪᴠɪɴᴇ ʀɪɢʜᴛ ᴍᴏɴᴀʀᴄʜʏ ɪɴ ʜɪs ғɪʀsᴛ ᴛʀᴇᴀᴛɪsᴇ ᴏɴ ᴄɪᴠɪʟ ɢᴏᴠᴇʀɴᴍᴇɴᴛ. ɪɴ ʜɪs sᴇᴄᴏɴᴅ ᴛʀᴇᴀᴛɪsᴇ ᴏɴ ᴄɪᴠɪʟ ɢᴏᴠᴇʀɴᴍᴇɴᴛ, ʟᴏᴄᴋᴇ ᴀʀɢᴜᴇᴅ ғᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ʀɪɢʜᴛs ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛᴇ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ᴏᴡɴ ɢᴏᴠᴇʀɴᴍᴇɴᴛs ᴀᴄᴄᴏʀᴅɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ᴏᴡɴ ᴅᴇsɪʀᴇs ᴀɴᴅ ғᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ sᴀᴋᴇ ᴏғ ᴘʀᴏᴛᴇᴄᴛɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ᴏᴡɴ ʟɪғᴇ, ʟɪʙᴇʀᴛʏ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴘʀᴏᴘᴇʀᴛʏ.
ᴛʜᴇ ᴀᴍᴇʀɪᴄᴀɴ ғᴏᴜɴᴅɪɴɢ ғᴀᴛʜᴇʀs ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴏᴄᴋᴇ (ᴀs ᴡᴇʟʟ ᴀs ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴇɴʟɪɢʜᴛᴇɴᴍᴇɴᴛ ᴡʀɪᴛᴇʀs). ᴛʜᴇ ᴀᴍᴇʀɪᴄᴀɴ ʀᴇᴠᴏʟᴜᴛɪᴏɴ (1775-1783) ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ɪᴅᴇᴀs ɪɴᴄʟᴜᴅᴇᴅ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴇᴄʟᴀʀɪᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴏғ ɪɴᴅᴇᴘᴇɴᴅᴇɴᴄᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏɴsᴛɪᴛᴜᴛɪᴏɴ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ɪɴsᴘɪʀᴇᴅ ʙʏ ᴡʀɪᴛᴇʀs sᴜᴄʜ ᴀs ʟᴏᴄᴋᴇ.