Influence of Philosophers

Julia Sevco
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In this paper, I seek to explain the influence of 17th and 18th century
Enlightenment philosophers on the formation of the United States government. The
Enlightenment was a period in Europe where new ideas were created and debated. I
argue that different Enlightenment philosophers ideas served as the basis for the
formation of a democratic United States government. Europeans of the 17th century
no longer lived in the darkness of the Middle Ages. During the Enlightenment
period, the greatest thinkers in history believed reason could solve social, political
and economic problems. Philosophers promoted democracy and justice through
discussions of individual liberty and equality. These philosophers included John
Locke and Montesquieu. I can prove that Enlightenment philosophers influenced the
formation of the U.S. government by discussing the democratic values of consent of
the governed, natural rights, and separation of powers.
According to U.S. History.org, The single most important influence that
shaped the founding of the United States came from John Locke who believed a
ruler gained through the consent of the governed. The theory of consent is a
cornerstone of democratic government. The U.S. Constitution demonstrates belief
in consent when it writes We the People of the United States. Locke wrote about
the social contract people made with their government. He determined that the
purpose of government was to protect peoples natural rights which included life,
liberty and ownership of property. If a government should fail to protect its citizens
rights, the citizens have the right to overthrow the government. These ideas
influenced Thomas Jefferson as he wrote the Declaration of Independence. The

Declaration of Independence promised personal freedom to all people and this

freedom was guaranteed by a new democratic form of government in which people
had a say in their government. Another important philosopher was Montesquieu
who suggested limiting the power of government through a system of separation of
powers into branches of government. According to U.S. History.org, He felt this
would avoid tyranny and promote liberty and justice. These branches included the
legislative, executive, and judicial branches. The idea of separation of powers is part
of the U.S. Constitution. The U.S. government includes these three branches which
keep checks and balances on each other still today.
American government is a product of numerous Enlightenment thinkers.
Democracy was not created overnight. Americas founding fathers created a
government based on the democratic values of liberty, equality, and justice. They
used the ideas of consent of the governed and natural laws from John Locke. They
also used Montesquieus philosophy of separation of powers. They incorporated
these ideas into the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.
Enlightenment ideas helped spur the American colonies to create a new nation with
a new government. More than 200 years later, that government still stands strong.