The Influence of John Locke’s Political Philosophy on the Formation of a Revolutionary Spirit in America

Term Paper , 2016 , 13 Pages

Didactics for the subject English - Literature, Works

The attempt of this paper is to examine how Locke’s political philosophy influenced the thoughts and actions of the opponents of the British Crown during the American Revolution. In the American colonies the origin of political power structures and government were thought to be in contractual arrangements.

Therefore, the idea of John Locke that it’s the people’s decision to enter into a society by a social contract was estimated by many colonists to be also the concept of government their ancestors had chosen to settle down in the New World. Even some historians saw the “intellectual roots of resistance in the “country” […] as part and parcel of the Lockean Enlightenment”. So, one can conclude that Locke did have a great influence. Furthermore, the adaptation of Locke’s ideas in the revolutionary documents showed that his philosophy served as justification for the colonists and with that the independence was justified, too.

Table of Contents

• The Influence of John Locke's Political Philosophy on the Formation of a Revolutionary Spirit in America
• John Locke's Political Philosophy
• Natural Rights
• The State of Nature
• The Social Contract
• The Right to Resist Tyranny
• The Influence of Locke's Philosophy on Revolutionary Documents
• James Otis and the Rights of the British Colonies
• Samuel Adams and the Boston Pamphlet

Objectives and Key Themes

This paper examines the influence of John Locke's political philosophy on the formation of a revolutionary spirit in America. It analyzes how Locke's ideas about natural rights, the social contract, and the right to resist tyranny were adopted by American revolutionaries in their struggle for independence from British rule.

• The impact of John Locke's political philosophy on American revolutionary thought
• The role of natural rights in justifying revolution
• The concept of the social contract and its implications for government legitimacy
• The right to resist tyranny and its application in the American Revolution
• The influence of Locke's ideas on key revolutionary documents

Chapter Summaries

The paper begins by introducing the main aspects of John Locke's political philosophy, particularly his concept of natural rights, the state of nature, and the social contract. It then examines how Locke's ideas were used by American revolutionaries in their writings and actions. The paper analyzes two key documents, James Otis's "Rights of the British Colonies Asserted and Proved" and Samuel Adams's "Boston Pamphlet," both of which explicitly reference Locke's philosophy in arguing for the colonists' right to independence.

Keywords

John Locke, natural rights, social contract, state of nature, right to resist tyranny, American Revolution, James Otis, Samuel Adams, "Rights of the British Colonies Asserted and Proved," "Boston Pamphlet."

• College: Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz
• Course: American Literature: The American Revolution
• Author: Laila N. (Author)
• Publication Year: 2016
• Pages: 13
• Catalog Number: V319465
• ISBN (eBook): 9783668187238
• ISBN (Book): 9783668187245
• Language: English
• Tags: Englisch, John Locke, John, Locke, American Revolution, The Influence of John Locke’s Political Philosophy on the Formation of a Revolutionary Spirit in America, influence, american, revolution, literature, political philosophy, two treatise, america