The ideas that formed the Constitution: John Locke and the Ninth Amendment
John Locke (1632–1704) was one of the greatest figures in English scholarship. His influence on the American Founding was enormous. Some have referred to him as a “Founding Grandfather.” Locke shared points of similarity with many other figures profiled in this...
The Three Traits of Tyranny
The American founders who drafted and signed the Declaration of Independence grounded their case for separating from Great Britain on a philosophy of government derived from the writings of John Locke: especially from Lockean notions of legitimate government vs....
What the American Founders Meant by Equality
The Declaration of Independence famously proclaimed that “all men are created equal.” Thanks in part to that prestigious endorsement, “equality” has become a widely held social ideal. But what most modern-day egalitarians promote is far removed from the kind of...