25.9k views
1 vote
what does it mean in the declaration of independence by "people are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights?"

User Nathaniel
by
3.9k points

1 Answer

3 votes

This line of text in the DOC refers to Natural Rights, an idea originally imposed by John Locke -- one of the famous Enlightenment thinkers.

Natural Rights are rights that all men/women are entitled to -- meaning they can't be taken away by any kings or dictators.

When most people think natural rights they also think: Life, Liberty, and Property. In the DOC, this was changed to "Life, Liberty, and The Pursuit of Happiness.

User Younggun Kim
by
4.3k points