Which philosopher is best known for arguing that natural rights such as life, liberty, and property influenced the U.S. Declaration of Independence?

Which philosopher is best known for arguing that natural rights such as life, liberty, and property influenced the U.S. Declaration of Independence?

• A. Montesquieu
• B. John Locke
• C. Voltaire
• D. Rousseau

Answer: (B)

The idea being tested is understanding which Enlightenment thinker shaped the belief that people have natural rights that governments must protect. John Locke argued that individuals possess natural rights—life, liberty, and property—that exist before government, and government’s purpose is to protect these rights with the consent of the governed; when a government fails, people have the right to alter or abolish it. The Declaration of Independence reflects this influence by asserting unalienable rights and that governments derive power from protecting those rights, with the notion of property expressed culturally as the pursuit of happiness. While Montesquieu, Voltaire, and Rousseau contributed important ideas to political thought, Locke is the one most directly linked to the rights described.

The idea being tested is understanding which Enlightenment thinker shaped the belief that people have natural rights that governments must protect. John Locke argued that individuals possess natural rights—life, liberty, and property—that exist before government, and government’s purpose is to protect these rights with the consent of the governed; when a government fails, people have the right to alter or abolish it. The Declaration of Independence reflects this influence by asserting unalienable rights and that governments derive power from protecting those rights, with the notion of property expressed culturally as the pursuit of happiness. While Montesquieu, Voltaire, and Rousseau contributed important ideas to political thought, Locke is the one most directly linked to the rights described.