Jean Jacques Rousseau and the Declaration of Independence - Essay Example

Section/# Jean Jacques Rousseau and the Declaration of Independence One of the primary aspects of the American Revolution and the movement for independence from the crown of England was the facts that this movement in and of itself was not unique. Although it is oftentimes understood and believed by American historians that this particular movement of independence was somehow native and special to the American experience, the fact of the matter was that many of the influences that contributed to thought within the colonies were heavily influenced by the writings, teachings, and philosophy of a broad range of historians, Greek thinkers, and or European sociologist/political scientists. One of the ways that this can most distinctly be seen is within the founding document of the American movement of independence, the Declaration of Independence. Although many individuals doubtless influenced upon the way in which Thomas Jefferson ultimately authored the Declaration of Independence, Jean Jacques Rousseau is and was one of the most important and prominent influential factors in the way that this particular document was understood and ultimately represented. Accordingly, I will seek to draw a very clear line of distinction between some of the primary and fundamental aspects of the writings of Jean Jacques Rousseau within the document of the Declaration of Independence. However, before delving too deeply into comparisons and contrasts of the works of Rousseau and the Declaration of Independence, a further level of analysis with regards to the Declaration of Independence’s most prominent author, Thomas Jefferson, must be engaged with. Thomas Jefferson is known by many historians to be one of the most prominent and influential founding fathers of the United States. However, he was also a very prominent philosopher, inventor, writer, and Francophile. Accordingly, it comes as little surprise that Thomas Jefferson would have leaned heavily upon the writings and understandings exhibited by Jean Jacques Rousseau as a means of crafting this fundamental explanation of how and why the United States determined to free itself from English colonial bonds (Declaration of Independence 1). One of the most fundamental aspects of Rousseau’s understanding of political thought and theory relates to the fact that he believed in the existence of what he termed a “social contract” between “the people”. Rousseau was fundamentally opposed to the idea that the divine right of kings allowed for an efficient and/or equitable means of governance. This can, of course, be traced back to what many have termed Enlightenment thinking. He, like many enlightenment thinkers questioned whether or not the divine right of kings was sufficient evidence to compel the people into servitude. Further, his works reference the understanding that a rule by the masses would represent a far more equitable approach (Storey 748). Ultimately, this was the same belief system that not only precipitated the American Revolution but also the French Revolution shortly thereafter. Many scholars have referred to this idea as early republicanism; i.e. the belief that the people under the form of an elected government were ultimately much better able to determine their own future then the distant, and ultimately uncaring monarchy that existed at that time. Although it may be convenient to assume that Rousseau was the first political thinker to come up with such a theory, this can be traced as far back as the ancient Greeks in the form of Plato, Aristotle, and Socrates. The existence and definition of this level of freedom which each and every man should exhibit was defined by Rousseau as something gifted by nature and/or of the natural order (Feinstein 14). At this juncture, the reader can aptly note the idea of self-determination, as exhibited within the Declaration of Independence, was a natural right and not something that was merely created by definition. Thomas Jefferson, and other framers of the Declaration of Independence, utilize this understanding to its fullest extent and expressing the rationale and logic behind why the United States colonies expected their right to self-determination from the crown of England. In very much the same way the Declaration of Independence also spends a deal of time integrating with the reader the understanding that the social contract which is being created imposes a level of responsibility on the part of the new nation as a means of effectively governing itself in determining the future which best suits its needs. A final element of comparison that can be seen between these two is the fact that the social contracts that Rousseau speaks of is ultimately a contract which can be broken and or reneged upon once the individuals within the system determined that it no longer suits the needs. Due to the fact that this is represented within the very first few sentences of the Declaration of Independence, the impacts that Rousseau has bequeathed to this document is without question will stop. Ultimately, one can see that Rousseau was one of the first individuals within the modern era to reintegrate with an understanding of self-determination and the rights of the people to affect representative rule. This does not cheapen the American experience; rather, it helps to emphasize the extent to which this experience was informed by the body of thought and literature that existed within humanism and philosophy for hundreds of years prior to the time the United States sought to declare independence from Great Britain. Although it is been stated various junctures throughout this brief analysis that the United States is not unique, the fact of the matter is that the United States was the first nation within modern history to declare independence from colonial powers in such a fashion and draft such a document. Work Cited "Declaration of Independence - Text Transcript." National Archives and Records Administration. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2013. Feinstein, Charles. "Egalitarianism." Economic History Review 43.4 (1990): 775-776. Business Source Premier. Web. 10 Apr. 2013. Storey, Benjamin. "The Problem Of Admiration In Rousseau’S “Sad And Great System”." Journal Of Politics 73.3 (2011): 735-747. Academic Search Complete. Web. 17 Apr. 2013. Read More