Final answer:
The Declaration of Independence uses rhetoric to make its message compelling by emphasizing the natural rights of individuals and the importance of self-governance. The document's arguments about inalienable rights and democracy remain relevant to American society today.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Declaration of Independence uses rhetoric to make its message more compelling by employing persuasive language and appeals to emotion. Thomas Jefferson, the primary author of the document, drew on the Enlightenment philosophy of thinkers like John Locke and Jean Jacques Rousseau to emphasize the natural rights of individuals and the idea that all men are created equal. By framing the grievances against King George III as violations of these fundamental rights, the Declaration inspired colonists to join the Revolutionary cause.
One of the most relevant arguments in the Declaration of Independence to American society today is the concept of inalienable rights. The document asserts that all individuals have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, which continues to be a fundamental belief in modern American society. Another relevant argument is the idea of the right to self-government and the importance of democratic principles in forming a just government. In today's society, the emphasis on democracy and the rights of individuals are still highly relevant.
Evidence from the text includes the famous line: '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 statement clearly articulates the idea of natural rights and equality. Additionally, the Declaration criticizes King George III for depriving the colonists of their rights and argues for the importance of self-governance through phrases like 'Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed'.