According to Dictionary.com a citizen is someone who is a member of a much larger group than himself or herself (n. d.). An example of belonging to such an organization is when one is part of a team. Since the beginning of organized sports, athletic coaches have preached to their teams the value of working together as one cohesive unit in order to achieve the desired goal: a victory. Players have endured countless hours of practice, learned their specific role on the team, studied offensive and defensive plays, and most importantly, were taught to trust the fact that the athlete next to him or her will fulfill their assignment on any given play. In football, when all eleven players work together in harmony towards a common goal, the likelihood …show more content…
In order to answer that question it is important that one first understands the difference between citizenship education and autonomy. According to Gerald Gutek (2014), citizenship education is the study of the democratic process and conveys to the student the sense of duty to one’s country (p. 240). Donald Kerr (2006) regarded autonomy as being the ability of the pupil to think independently and make rational decisions and this ability is seen as a necessity to maintaining a liberal democracy (pp. 425-426). Thus the argument stemmed from the differing perspectives as to which is the most important skill for a student to learn in order to become a productive citizen in a democracy: citizenship (being part of the team) or autonomous thought (being independent), has now begun …show more content…
Once the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776, the break between the British government and what was now known as the United States of America was complete (p. 209-218). In his book, Churchill (1983) discussed how the new country was to be a stark contrast to that of Great Britain. The British Parliament and the monarchy had acted with absolute power and cared not for the opinion of those living in the colonies. It was precisely because of this blatant abuse of power that Thomas Jefferson, a student of the Enlightenment, wrote in the Declaration of Independence “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, and that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among them are life, liberty, and happiness” (pp. 270-271). With that the United States became dedicated to the idea of independent thought and freedom and that is a characteristic of this country that is as strong today as it was in
The American ideals in regards to freedom along with other human rights are not unique to the United States. In fact many of these freedoms and other rights found within the American declaration of independence were in fact copied from the Englishmen John Locke who wrote extensively on the subject nearly a century before the declaration even came into existence. John Locke was many things throughout his life mainly a philosopher and was also heavily involved in politics and psychology. This is evident throughout Locke’s writings. One of his most renowned works is his Second Treatise of Civil Government in which he discusses his views in regard to the state of nature, why people form governments and the benefits they gain from doing so, along with analyzing the extent of parliament’s
People were finally serious about breaking away from the British and wanted their independence. In 1776 they decided to write the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson was the main writer of this declaration which established the United States as a nation. After the Continental Congress approved The Declaration of Independence, it was official. Though the British refused to recognize The United States as a nation, the United States were fighting for their freedom and independence. They no longer wanted the British controlling them.
The Declaration of Independence refers to “our constitution”, in this respect they were referring to the Ancient British Constitution. The United States was expressing the fundamental aspects of British politics; among these were Classic Republicanism, Enlightenment Liberalism, and Protestant Christianity. In the Declaration they balanced all of these English traditions; expressing what they believed to be the true spirit of the British Constitution. As Edmund Burke would say, “(the Revolution) was carried out not to create new liberties but to preserve old ones” (Wood, p. 58). The main issue that the colonies had with the British following 1763, was England’s belief in the doctrine of
Jefferson’s language in the Declaration of Independence shows clear influence from Locke and his theory of Life, Liberty, and Property. Locke’s idea of government is one that sets out to protect these rights and once a government becomes more destructive than useful it is the right of the people to dissolve the government and start over from scratch. It can be seen that Jefferson’s view of government, through his criticisms toward the British Parliament, are in direct alignment with Locke’s.
In 1774, Jefferson wrote “A Summary View of the Rights of British America”, in which he claimed that the colonies were tied to the king only by voluntary bonds of loyalty. The “Summary View of the Rights of British America” was published without Jefferson’s permission. This document was presented as a political pamphlet. It was taking Jefferson’s career to a whole another level, way further than
After claiming their Rights and equality, Thomas Jefferson condemned the present King of Great Britain for his ignorance to their well being as a ruler, his tyrannical nature as a king, as well as his usurpation toward his colonies, and his unquenchable greed that terrorized his own people. Established by the Great Britain, the colonists were bound under it naturally, but after time they were seriously mistreated by their own governor, publishing high taxes and demanding unreasonably expensive fee to its army, disregarding of their (the colonists) situation. When Thomas Jefferson was writing the Declaration of Independence, almost the whole one-third of its length was to record of the Britain King’s evil doings, therefore, such ruler, “whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.” Therefore, they must break free from this
After enduring “a long train of abuses and usurpations” the colonists decided to declare themselves free of British rule (para 2). Jefferson writes that given their “unalienable rights . . . Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness”, “it is the Right of the People . . . to institute new Government”, one that will fairly represent them, to reestablish order (para 2). The Declaration of Independence does not seek to convince or even encourage action; rather, it aims to declare. There are no mistaking Jefferson’s words. The Colonists are tired of the mistreatment and they are effectively severing all “Allegiance to the British Crown, and . . . political connection” (para 23). The audience of The Declaration of Independence, the world, is specifically addressed twice. The first
The Declaration of Independence (1776) was written to proclaim the colonists’ independence from Great Britain and announce the rights of its citizens and the role of government, among other declarations. The most famous phrase “…all men are created equal”, authored by Thomas Jefferson, was a statement affirming that tyranny under the rule of King George III and the English Parliament would be met with opposition by the colonists who would protect their liberties in the new republic.
Specifically, the idea that man is endowed with certain liberties that were granted by God and/or nature was advocated by the Enlightenment thinkers. Many people took aim at arbitrary governments and the “divine right of kings.” John Locke in return offered principles of constructing a constitutional government, a contract between rulers and the ruled. In Document 7, John Locke in The Two Treatises of Government stated that men consent to enter society in order to preserve their natural rights such as life, liberty, and property. The government should protect people's natural rights and if not, then the people can remove their consent because the government derives its power from the consent of the people. John Locke wrote during the time period of the Enlightenment; therefore, his thoughts were based on the emerging idea of individualism furthermore man's inherent rights and powers. Thomas Jefferson wrote in The Declaration of Independence (Document 9) that are all men are created equal and that they are endowed with certain natural rights. The Declaration of Independence was written because of England's tyrannical rule over the American colonies thus, the citizens felt that their natural rights were being abused by the English government. Individualism was indeed formed in response to the skepticism of the Church as
In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson appeals to patriotism. Jefferson ensures this by persuading the colonists to become self-governing. He tries to let all of the people of the New World understand that they have protested and defended themselves against the British for all of the corrupt acts the British have committed upon the colonists. Jefferson’s tone in the Declaration of Independence portrays how tiresome he has grown of the British rule after all of the deception towards Americans. Included within the idea of patriotism, is the idea of loyalty to the fundamental values and principles underlying American democracy. Thomas Paine also provides patriotism to get advocates for the movement to separate from the British forces. Correspondingly, Paine persuades Americans that they will prosper in numerous areas without the control of the British saying, “Is the power who is jealous of our prosperity, a proper power to govern us? Whoever says No to this question is an independent, for independency means no more, than, whether we shall make our own laws…” (Paine). Paine uses a demanding tone to convince Americans that if they should accept the ties with Britain, it will bring ruin and distress to the
In 1776 the founding fathers of America wanted freedom from Great Britain. For example, Henry states, “give me liberty, or give me death (Henry 243).” This quote shows freedom because Henry says he wants freedom and if he doesn’t get it, he’ll die fighting for it. Jefferson also says “That all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights (Jefferson 240).” Jefferson’s quote portrays equality saying, all men have equal rights that can’t be taken away. The visions of the founding fathers showed that Great Britain was controlling and they had nothing to themselves.
The Declaration of Independence was brought forth in a unanimous act to Declare the thirteen United States of America to become Independent. This was taken place on July 4, 1776 by the Second Continental Congress for the citizens of the United States. It was then published on January 18, 1777. At this time in history, the values, attitudes, and beliefs held within the country are introduced to us the same as our present day because we as a country still base our freedom and ways of life through political terms within the Declaration of Independence. This quote simply portrays how the people at this time felt and today what we follow, “We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness”.
his own life how he wishes, even if it will damage health or lead to
While distinct character traits, these virtues often overlap as they influence the excellency of a citizen. When these traits are absent, it impedes the success of the democracy. In order for a citizen to be law abiding, they must freely obey the law of the state, thereby maintaining social order and a harmonious society. Next, a responsible citizen will act with civility when engaging in political discussion. On the basis that citizens’ mutual deliberation and reflection will properly inform their public policy decisions and solutions to problems, citizens must being able to speak and to listen to one another with openness or the requisite discourse of viable democracy collapses as well as a free society. A responsible citizen will participate in the democratic process, stay informed of political issues, and participate in the betterment of the community, promoting the common good. By staying familiar with politics and consistently voting, citizens keep the government accountable while electing the best representatives to lead society. A responsible citizen will also volunteer in the community when there is a need, helping others by offering time, effort and resources instead of waiting for government to address it. Lastly, there is an overlap between the virtues of law abidingness and responsibility in the situations of paying income tax, serving on a jury
I believe that my goal as an educator is to focus on helping students develop character and prepare for active citizenship. According to Joel Westheimer and Joseph Kahne, there are three types of citizens: (1) the personally responsible citizen, (2) the participatory citizen, and (3) the justice-oriented citizen. I believe that all three types of citizens are the kinds of citizens educators should want their students to become. With this in mind, I will promote the duties and responsibilities of these citizens in my classroom curriculum. I will give my students opportunities to be good citizens throughout my daily lessons.