Liberty and equality are commonly perceived as antagonistic concepts. Liberty is generally viewed as preserving the unrestrained manifestation of individuality in every possible sphere, whereas equality is viewed as imposing restrictions on human actions. In fact, in his seminal work, ‘Equality’ (1931), Tawney notes that "Equality implies the deliberate acceptance of social restraints on individual expansion. If liberty means, therefore, that every individual shall be free to indulge without limit his appetite (for wealth and power), it is clearly incompatible not only with economic and social, but with civil and political, equality.” This tension between liberty and equality is often perceived to be a recurrent theme in the tradition of American political thought. It is commonly stated that while the Declaration of Independence assigns great …show more content…
To quote him, “Americans are so enamoured of equality that they would rather be equal in slavery than unequal in freedom.” He gave a number of reasons in support of equality. Firstly, the idea of liberty is not a novel idea and historically speaking, has not been restricted to democracies. Hence it cannot be called the defining feature of democracy in general and American democracy in particular. Equality, on the other hand, is a relatively new concept and hence more appealing. Secondly, it is more long lasting than liberty, since people can be stripped off individual liberties with much greater ease than equality. Thirdly, the drawbacks of liberty are immediately conspicuous, and its advantages visible only with a time lag. On the other hand, the advantages of equality are instant and its drawbacks slowly visible. Thus, while Americans will always want both equality and liberty, when asked to choose, they will uphold equality rather than protect liberty since the effects of equality are more widespread and
There are three main parts of his argument. The first part of his argument delves into the nature of man and government. This part investigates the role of natural vs. implied rights and it’s role in the creation of a government. The second part of his argument deals with the “concurrent” vs. “numerical” majority, which deals with the ideals of a majority against the ideals of a minority and a numerical faction. The third part of his argument deals with liberty, rights, power and security. I believe this part is most crucial because not everyone is implied to be free, but rather people need to deserve their freedom. This can’t be true, because people on American history because of their race and gender were not allowed to live by some of theories granted in the Disquisition of Government.
Throughout history, Americans have sought to spread the spirit of equality, which is believed to be the realization of true freedom. Before establishing this freedom, every American had only one question stuck in their head: What is freedom? Our country received it in the year of 1776 from the British through a series of difficulties and wars. African Americans defined it as an escape from slavery, while immigrants defined it as their acceptance into a new society. More yet, women of the women’s suffrage defined their freedom as their recognition into society and for their rights to be equal to that of every other man. These different perceptions of cultures/groups in America tied together to form an American view of freedom. Freedom is something that every American should be willing to do anything in order to maintain. We may have weapons of mass destruction, but when it comes to living in a peaceful, American lifestyle, our freedom is our greatest weapon.
In Eric Foner’s book, The Story of American Freedom, he writes a historical monograph about how liberty came to be. In the book, his argument does not focus on one fixed definition of freedom like others are tempted to do. Unlike others, Foner describes liberty as an ever changing entity; its definition is fluid and does not change in a linear progress. While others portray liberty as a pre-determined concept and gradually getting better, Foner argues the very history of liberty is constantly reshaping the definition of liberty, itself. Essentially, the multiple and conflicting views on liberty has always been a “terrain of conflict” and has changed in time (Foner xv).
During his first inaugural speech, in 1861, he expanded the nature of democracy by denouncing secession as anarchy, shedding light to popular rule by balancing the restraints that governed the American system ( Angle 1992 p.64). He believed on a true sovereign with entailed free people achieved v...
Political systems and their consequent removals during this time serve as a flashing indicator towards the power that exists in the mobilization of the people. The Declaration of Independence, Constitution of the United States, and the Rights of Man and Citizen, serve as reminders of the revolutionary philosophical and political attitudes belonging to the writers of these revolutionary documents. Even now, the same attitudes of equality and freedom can be seen. Whether it be through movements for racial equality on school campuses, justice for those killed unjustly, or the prevailing ideals of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” for all races and genders, the resounding calls for people to support and affirm their brethren continue to echo (US
The character of the United States is illuminated by the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson wanted to build a government where people are free and where the government “derives its power from the consent of the governed and it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it” (Jefferson, 247). T...
“All men are born free and with equal rights, and must always remain free and have equal rights,” (Thomas Jefferson) This is the famous statement made by Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence. He is being extremely hypocritical here considering he himself owned a near two hundred slaves. The slaves are still owned and treated as ‘property’. Thomas Jefferson did not have care for the slaves. The equalities discussed in the Declaration were not aimed to all men, they were aimed at specific white men. Frederick Douglass a former slave excellently asks in reaction to Jefferson; “Are the great principles of political freedom and of natural justice, embodied in that Declaration of Independence, extended to us?” What he means by “Us” is African American, it could also mean slave considering he was one. It is just so perfectly put because it is obvious the beliefs of Jefferson were not extended to African American’s or slaves. He continues on rather sarcastically “confess the benefits”, this is important because there was very little benefits. (Frederick Douglass, 1852,
He believed that freedom and equality were on complete opposite sides of the spectrum. A person can either be free but unequal, or unequal but free. This shows how everyones outlook on freedom differs. Adams, agrees with the idea that abolishing property qualifications allows for everyone to be brought down to the same level (TXT215)However, despite his opinion, the idea does not exist and the poor are oppressed. It is unfair to ask a majority of the population to stand by these new regulations when they are unable to vote for the lawmakers they see fit. Each person should be entitled to their own personal liberty and control over the small amount of land they own, yet that is given up the moment the government declares itself dominant. Overall, the Revolution led to a larger portion of the population being able to vote especially the white male community in the 1780’s. The only states excluding these requirements was Virginia, Maryland and New
In American history, many men and women have been confronted with hardships such as inequality and discrimination. The early American colonist had to fight for their rights: this applied to white men. African American men would have to wait another 90 years befor their rights. Women would have to wait even longer.. Three documents that express a similar desire to obtain freedom, equality, and independence are “The Declaration Of Independence,” by Thomas Jefferson, “The Declaration Of Sentiments,” by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott, and finally, “A Disappointed Woman,” by Lucy Stone. The rhetorical strategies of ethos, pathos, logos, diction, analogy, and imagery, help contribute to the authors arguments regarding the themes of freedom, equality, and independence. “The Declaration of Independence,” is an outstanding model of how rhetorical strategies can be used to express the needs of equality.
First, the importance of independence in a society can be represented by the U.S. Declaration of Independence and by Equality’s gained independence. Equality was treated similarly to the African-American citizens before the declaration was introduced for independence. The people of Equality’s society have their jobs assigned to them. When Equality turns fifteen, it is his turn to be given a job. He walks up to the council and they tell him he is to be a, “Street Sweeper.” (Rand 26). The African-American citizens were treated unfairly before the De...
To further convince the British Parliament of the seriousness of their intents, Congress added, “and for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of our divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our honor” (p.115) to ensure that Parliament knew that each member of Congress mutually agreed upon what was written in the document and that they would support each other in these matters and what would follow. Ideas from the Declaration of Independence are still prominent in America today. Many of the statements found in the document, like “all men are created equal” (p.112), are most often used in human rights arguments among minority groups. The Declaration of Independence is what sparked the movements that brought our country to be what it is today, and continues to remind Americans of the foundation that this country was founded on, which is why it is an important part of our nation’s
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.” This is perhaps the best-known phrase in American history, as the phrase is generally considered the American creed and the foundation of democracy. The American creed represents our need for independence and equality of life. The American creed which appears in the Declaration of Independence written by our great leaders has been a statement that we have seen reinforced over history by our most influential leaders. Some of these statements are the Declaration of Independence, the Gettysburg Address, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s I have a dream speech.
American freedom has faced many tribulations, especially throughout the slavery, segregation, and women’s suffrage eras. However, the ideological belief of individual freedom has always triumphed. From when the first Pilgrim stepped onto American soil to the present day America has been run by a democracy and the freedom that system of government allows its peoples to have. “Americans share a common identity grounded in the freedom — consistent always with respecting the freedom of others — to live as they choose” (Friedman).
Throughout the existence of man debates over property and inequality have always existed. Man has been trying to reach the perfect state of society for as long as they have existed. John Locke, Jean Jacques Rousseau, and Martin Luther King are three great examples of men who broke down the basics of how property and inequality are related. Each historical figure has their own distinct view on the situation. Some views are similar while others vary greatly. These philosophers and seekers of peace and equality make many great arguments as to how equality and property can impact man and society. Equality and property go hand in hand in creating an equal society. Each authors opinion has its own factors that create a mindset to support that opinion. In this paper we will discuss the writings of John Locke, Jean Jacques Rousseau, and Martin Luther King Jr. and the factors that influenced their opinions on inequality and property.
There are many events in history that include the expression of equality and freedoms. There are works on equality and or freedoms that have overriding themes. Three of these freedom or equality works are Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence, Martin Luther King Jr.’s I Have a Dream, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions. Each of these works relate to either freedom or equality, but they have different priorities and goals. Many of the goals of each were either met or unmet. There are many theories and works created to make an attempt to depict an ideal society. Three of these works are Thomas More’s Utopia, Ursula Le Guin’s The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas, and Niccolo Machiavelli’s The Prince. There