Rosseau wrote that history repeats itself in cycles of decay, and that we have only to look to Egypt, Greece, Rome and the Byzantine Empire for evidence of this statement's truth. He believed that the only way to redress this cycle of decay was to create just laws and wise governments based upon the popular will of the people. Three important documents from the 17th and 18th centuries guarantee the rights of the people against arbitrary rule. Name at least two and cite their dates.
2007-01-23 01:24:31 · 2 answers · asked by taylor17brown 1 in Arts & Humanities ➔ History
The United States Constitution would almost certainly be one of them. It was the first founding document based on enlightenment principles of Democracy. Drafted in 1787.
The Declaration of Independence doesn't count because it was an assertion of rights, not a guarantee.
History does repeat itself. See Paul Kennedy "The Rise and Fall of Great Powers" for proof.
2007-01-23 07:35:29 · answer #1 · answered by parrotjohn2001 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have a feeling that you should look at the revolutions of the 17th and 18th centuary. The first one began in france with the Great Revolution in the early 1700s. The second occured in the US with the War of Independence. The third occured in Canada in 1837. There are several more in developed European countries around this time and all of them are basically constitutional models which guarenteed the rights of the people against arbitrary rule.
2007-01-25 15:07:48 · answer #2 · answered by bpbjess 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋