Declaration of Independence and Enlightenment Concepts

Flashcards defining key political terms, principles, and historical philosophical ideas from the transcript on the Declaration of Independence and John Locke's Enlightenment philosophy.

Declaration of Independence

A document written to express the ideals that Americans believed government should be founded on, elaborating on the rights and role of the people in building the foundations of the American nation.

The Enlightenment

A European movement during the mid/late 1600s and 1700s characterized by new ideas that challenged kings, absolute monarchy, the status quo, and the divine right of kings.

Divine right of kings

The political and religious doctrine asserting a monarch's absolute authority, which was challenged during the Enlightenment.

John Locke

An Enlightenment philosopher who argued that people possess natural rights (life, liberty, and property) and that the main purpose of government is to protect those rights.

Natural rights

The basic rights identified by John Locke as life, liberty, and property, which government is created to protect.

Unalienable rights

Fundamental rights embodied in individual and civil liberties that cannot be taken away or denied.

Consent of the people

The principle (also referred to as consent of the governed) that a government's legitimacy and moral right to use state power is derived from the agreement of the citizens.

Equality of rights for all citizens

An ideal expressed in the Declaration of Independence asserting that civil liberties and legal protections belong equally to every citizen.

Responsibility of the government to protect the rights of its citizens

The foundational duty of government to safeguard individual natural and civil liberties.

Right to overthrow government

The principle that if a government fails in its purpose to protect natural rights, citizens have the right to withdraw consent, revolt, change the government, or start a revolutionary war.