John Locke
One of the most influential intellectuals of the Enlightenment period was the English philosopher John Locke, who lived from 1632 to 1704 (Soltan Beyad & Melkonians, 2023). One of his writings, the “Two Treatises of Government,” published in 1689, profoundly molded the U.S. political standards. Locke strongly affirmed that the most significant role of the government was to endorse every citizen’s natural rights, including the right to life, freedom, and property. He promoted the social contract theory, which contends that the consent of the governed is what gives the government legitimacy. Locke’s works project the principles of popular sovereignty, limited government, and individual freedom, which were monumental to the creation of the U.S. Constitution.
Locke’s beliefs significantly propelled the Founding Fathers’ initiation of a constitutional government. The Declaration of Independence framed the concept of natural rights, expressly “the right to life, freedom, and property,” as a guaranteed right (Galie et al., 2020). The declaration modified these rights as the “right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Locke’s conviction in the people’s freedom to change or destroy a government that does not uphold their rights motivated the revolutionary spirit and belief that the American colonies should pursue independence from British authority.
William Blackstone
William Blackstone was an English lawyer and legal scholar who lived between 1723 and 1780. His most famous work, “Commentaries on the Laws of England,” was published between 1765 and 1769 and is regarded as one of the essential legal treatises in the English-speaking world. Blackstone’s Commentaries thoroughly and methodically outlined English common law and legal concepts (Dickinson, 2019). Blackstone underlined the value of fair, predictable, and transparent laws and the importance of endorsing the rule of law and protecting citizens’ rights.
Blackstone’s concepts thoroughly modeled the American legal structure and the U.S. Constitution. The constitution demonstrates his perspectives on protecting personal rights and utilizing the law. Blackstone’s focus on the importance of due process, a just trial, and the presumption of innocence is demonstrated in the Constitution’s Fifth, sixth, and Sixth Amendments (Maxwell, 2020). Blackstone’s theories on the appropriate operation of a just legal system are also reflected in the Constitution’s dependence on a concise and predictable legal structure, division of authority, and balance of power.
The Impact of the Authors’ Ideas
John Locke and William Blackstone significantly impacted the principles and concepts that shaped the formulation of the United States Constitution. Locke set the foundation for ideas like popular sovereignty and individual freedoms with his writings on natural rights, the social contract theory, and the right to change or overthrow an unfair government. Blackstone’s commentaries emphasized the rule of law, due process, and the defense of individual rights, which offered a thorough understanding of English law. Their ideas helped shape the constitutional framework of the United States to guarantee the protection of individual liberties and the construction of a government. These ideas were based on justice, limited power, and public consent.
References
Baker, J. (2023). Magna Carta.
Dickinson, H. T. (2019). Comments on William Blackstone’s commentaries on the laws of England. History, 104(362), 710-728.
Fortosis, S., & Atkinson, H. T. (2022). Fallible heroes: Inside the protestant reformation. Wipf and Stock Publishers.
Galie, P. J., Bopst, C., & Kirschner, B. (2020). Rights in colonial America: 1620–1776. Palgrave Macmillan.
Graves, N. D. (2019). A barren mistress: American rhetoric in the Rhodesian illegal declaration of independence. Pula: Botswana Journal of African Studies, 33, 1.
Hudson, D. L. (2021). The Bill of rights. Understanding the constitution and your freedoms. Learn25.
Maxwell, M. (2020). Judges judge too: Analyzing the shackling of criminal defendants in nonjury proceedings. Penn State Law Review, 125, 289.
Ross, B. L. (2021). Inequality, anti-republicanism, and our unique second amendment. Harvard Law ReviewForum, 135, 491.
Schragger, R., & Schwartzman, M. (2019). Religious antiliberalism and the first amendment. Minnesota Law Review., 104, 1341.
Soltan Beyad, M., & Melkonians, H. B. (2023). Cartesianism vs. empiricism: Johnson’s periodical essays, and sermons through the philosophy of John Locke. Journal of English Literature and Cultural Studies, 3(4), 8-22.