Liberalism, By Thomas Jefferson, John Locke, And Adam Smith

Liberalism is, arguably, the foundation the United States. Liberalism is the concept that society should operate on the principles of equality and liberty. Some of the main principles of liberalism that built the United States came from famous thinkers: Thomas Jefferson, John Locke, and Adam Smith. Each of these men believed individual liberty was at the heart of liberalism. The three main principles of liberalism that play a major role in its function are equal rights, individualism, and capitalism. However, are these principles necessarily perfect? This raises the question, is individual liberty necessarily a positive notion as many Americans believe, or are there flaws in the system? Although individual liberalism is regarded as a great thing, there are many problems with its concepts such as unequal treatment, the lack of community in individualism, and the materialistic nature of humans. One of the most famous statements by Thomas Jefferson is, â€Å"all men are created equalâ €  (Jefferson pg. 1, para. 2). Jefferson upholds his stated self-evident truths that all humans have â€Å"certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness† (Jefferson pg. 1, para. 2). Rights and equality go hand in hand in the Declaration of Independence. He explains that all men deserve these self-evident truths and the complaints for the king’s failure of recognizing them are demonstrated through his long list of usurpations. Some examples that Jefferson providesShow MoreRelatedNiccolo Machiavellis Change In The Scientific Revolution And Secularism Essay1334 Words   |  6 Pagesas the secularism and humanism movements, many began questioning the world around them through science and philosophy. Western thought throughout this period placed a major emphasis on the natural rights of the individual, science, and economic liberalism. Machiavelli’s major contributions to political science are his ideas on secularization, absolutism, and utilitarianism. The Renaissance ideas of realism, humanism, and secularism would have an everlasting effect on the world, and would lead toRead MoreThe Theory Of Government, Science And The Nature Of Human Beings1466 Words   |  6 Pagesand 19th century. Thomas Hobbes, Baruch Spinoza, Francis Bacon, John Locke, Jean-Jaques Rousseau and Francis Hutcheson are few of the many Enlightenment thinkers that used reason to challenge the structure of government, science and the nature of human beings. For example, Hobbes believed that man was born evil and shared in Aristotle’s belief that government was essentially the preservation of order against man’s instinct for selfishness and violence. In contrast, John Locke believed that eachRead MoreTo What Extent Has Modern Liberalism Departed from the Ideas of Classical Liberalism?682 Words   |  3 PagesTo what extent has modern liberalism departed from the ideas of classical liberalism? The further development of industrialisation led to social and economic inequality. This led to a revision of classical liberal ideas to prevent the spread of ignorance and poverty. It is suggested that modern liberals have betrayed classical liberal ideas as they embrace collectivism and diverge from classical liberalism on issues such as freedom. However, it can be argued that modern liberals have simply builtRead MoreThe Intellectual Tradition Of Political Economy1692 Words   |  7 PagesTraditions in Political Economy i) In what significant ways does modern liberalism break from classical liberalism s conceptualization of the market? In your answer, be sure to focus on the principles of classical and modern liberalism, as well as key 20th-century intellectual developments in each tradition. The definitional conceptualization of the five premises of political economy underscores the differences classical and modern liberalism. These premises include human nature, society, government, moralityRead MoreJohn Locke, Adam Smith, And Edmund Burke1922 Words   |  8 PagesJessica Morales Posc005W February 4, 2016 Section 22 John Locke, Adam Smith, and Edmund Burke have several values that are illustrated by today’s society. One of these values would be conservatism. It is true that we have changed today’s society, however; have we quickly changed these values or have we slowly taken our time to introduce them? Property is another value that illustrates today’s society. We need a state in order to own property. There is no other form of regulation that will tellRead Moredevelopment studies1392 Words   |  6 Pagescompilation of various theories. Liberal theories consist of the classical, social, political, cultural and Neo-liberalism theory. Classical Liberalism is prominent theory of the late 17th and 18th century which was dominant in the United States and England during the enlightment or industrialisation period. The theory is usually associated with Adam Smith, John Locke and Thomas Jefferson. It is concerned with social and political change achievement through freedom and it speculates that for this