Question

Why do you think the Declaration of Independence outlines a political philosophy

Answer 1

The Declaration of Independence is largely inspire by the political philosophies of John Locke and the Enlightenment in the 1700s. One of the most influential of these ideas was that of self-government. The colonists' situation was, in the opinion of the Founding Fathers, lacking in self-government. The colonies were ruled by a sole "tyrant" across the ocean, and they were not represented in Parliament (and therefore had no say in their government). Therefore, the Founding Fathers wrote the Declaration of Independence and included in it their idea of what government should be (according to the political philosophy of the Enlightenment) and their grievances against King George III.

Answer 2

Because the writers of the Declaration believed the British government had treated them unjustly and unfairly, they found it important to express the foundations that should form a basis of a just government. To this end, the writers expressed that the main purpose of a government is to protect its people. Furthermore, they expressed that a government rules only because of a concept known as the "consent of the governed."

Plato