John Locke

John Locke (1632–1704) was an English Enlightenment philosopher whose political theory provided the foundational ideology for the American Revolution. In his 1689 Two Treatises of Government, Locke argued that legitimate governance relies on the consent of the governed to protect inherent natural rights. Thomas Jefferson directly mirrored this philosophy in the 1776 Declaration of Independence, adapting Locke's natural rights to "life, liberty, and estate" into "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." The Declaration also adopted Locke’s doctrine on the right to revolution, asserting the right of citizens to overthrow a tyrannical government.