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Adrian Lurie

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Adrian Lurie
12/13/11
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Self-Evidence

In 1776, the Deceleration of Independence was signed by our founding fathers. This document had been previously written to break free from the grip of Britain and become an autonomous nation. It obtained the most fundamental ideas of our country, and helped shape what it is today. The most important group of ideals in this Declaration was the self-evident truths, which stated essential laws about man and its organization. These self-evident truths of the Declaration of Independence were derived from the ideals of natural rights, an undefined Creator, and establishing government. Throughout the history of the world, natural rights have been widely believed in, and were a large factor in the creation of our country. One source that shares the ideas of the Declaration is Cicero’s De Legibus, in which Cicero wrights that man, “has been given certain distinguished status…” This directly relates to the self-evident truths, meaning that Man has been given special rights and is therefore above all the other animals. Another example of natural rights in history is the signing of the Magna Carta. The king acknowledged that he had been repressing people’s natural rights, so they created the Magna Carta to protect them. This is yet another example from which the Declaration of Independence claimed ideas. Finally, the famous philosopher John Locke, “called the new-born mind a tabula rasa, a blank slate.” He believed that all men were created equal, and were born with innocent minds that could only be corrupted or changed through experience in the world. These references to natural rights in history are important parts to how the founding fathers shaped the Declaration of Independence. Religion has always played a significant role in society, and more specifically the idea of a God created many morals and values in America.

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