“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.”
This is quite possibly the single most famous line from any of our founding documents, but what does it mean to Americans? Why is it phrased this way? What were the intentions of the Founders (most of which, I believe, can be taken from this one phrase) for this, the greatest, richest, most powerful nation in the history of the world?
We hold these truths to be self-evident - There isn't a lot of exposition needed here, except to say that the Founders believed that mankind was born with certain freedoms and liberties, hinted at in the Declaration of Independence, and enumerated more explicitly in the Constitution. We've ALWAYS had these rights, since the dawn of human history: They are inherently ours.
That all men are created equal – This was, no pun intended, an absolutely revolutionary concept when it was written. Even in the fairest and most free governmental systems prior to the American Revolution, there were always class systems. Being born in one class meant you STAYED in that class throughout your lifetime. The only class mobility was downwards, except under the most limited circumstances. Then, from the most brilliant minds ever assembled in one place, at one time, comes a brand new concept: Not only are men created equal, meaning no one is inherently better or higher than anyone else, but anyone, regardless of birth, even regardless of WHERE you were born, had the opportunity to achieve whatever his or her talent, ambition, and hard work could lead them. Never before had that been a possibility. This part of the phrase alone, I believe, is the single biggest reason the United States became the nation all others looked to for inspiration and guidance.
That they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights - Simply put, it is God, Nature, call it what you will, that grants you a multitude of rights and freedoms. We weren't dependent upon government to tell us what we can and cannot do, what liberties we possessed, what freedoms we enjoyed. They are ours from the moment of our conception; and more importantly, they are freedoms that the government cannot curtail, infringe, impinge, interfere with, or strip away from us.
That among these are Life, Liberty – Life is obvious. Liberty, as the Founders saw it, was the freedom of a people, any people, to live life as they chose, without governmental restrictions, until you infringe upon the rights of another.
And the pursuit of Happiness – Here we get to one of the most important parts of the phrase, as well as the most misinterpreted. *Happiness* isn't the right; it's the *pursuit* of said happiness that's the right. As an American citizen, a person is free to PURSUE his or her happiness as they see fit, provided there is no infringement of the rights of another to do the same. Again, due to the class system prevalent in the Founder's world, this was a revolutionary idea. Today, people focus on the word “happiness,” believing that we are guaranteed our HAPPINESS, that our government is obligated to ensure that every person, everywhere is successful - it's *not*; it is up to every individual to create their OWN success and happiness based upon their ability and effort. The Founders specifically created our form of government to stay out of the way of that pursuit. ~ Hunter
This is quite possibly the single most famous line from any of our founding documents, but what does it mean to Americans? Why is it phrased this way? What were the intentions of the Founders (most of which, I believe, can be taken from this one phrase) for this, the greatest, richest, most powerful nation in the history of the world?
We hold these truths to be self-evident - There isn't a lot of exposition needed here, except to say that the Founders believed that mankind was born with certain freedoms and liberties, hinted at in the Declaration of Independence, and enumerated more explicitly in the Constitution. We've ALWAYS had these rights, since the dawn of human history: They are inherently ours.
That all men are created equal – This was, no pun intended, an absolutely revolutionary concept when it was written. Even in the fairest and most free governmental systems prior to the American Revolution, there were always class systems. Being born in one class meant you STAYED in that class throughout your lifetime. The only class mobility was downwards, except under the most limited circumstances. Then, from the most brilliant minds ever assembled in one place, at one time, comes a brand new concept: Not only are men created equal, meaning no one is inherently better or higher than anyone else, but anyone, regardless of birth, even regardless of WHERE you were born, had the opportunity to achieve whatever his or her talent, ambition, and hard work could lead them. Never before had that been a possibility. This part of the phrase alone, I believe, is the single biggest reason the United States became the nation all others looked to for inspiration and guidance.
That they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights - Simply put, it is God, Nature, call it what you will, that grants you a multitude of rights and freedoms. We weren't dependent upon government to tell us what we can and cannot do, what liberties we possessed, what freedoms we enjoyed. They are ours from the moment of our conception; and more importantly, they are freedoms that the government cannot curtail, infringe, impinge, interfere with, or strip away from us.
That among these are Life, Liberty – Life is obvious. Liberty, as the Founders saw it, was the freedom of a people, any people, to live life as they chose, without governmental restrictions, until you infringe upon the rights of another.
And the pursuit of Happiness – Here we get to one of the most important parts of the phrase, as well as the most misinterpreted. *Happiness* isn't the right; it's the *pursuit* of said happiness that's the right. As an American citizen, a person is free to PURSUE his or her happiness as they see fit, provided there is no infringement of the rights of another to do the same. Again, due to the class system prevalent in the Founder's world, this was a revolutionary idea. Today, people focus on the word “happiness,” believing that we are guaranteed our HAPPINESS, that our government is obligated to ensure that every person, everywhere is successful - it's *not*; it is up to every individual to create their OWN success and happiness based upon their ability and effort. The Founders specifically created our form of government to stay out of the way of that pursuit. ~ Hunter
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