what does it really mean?!?! 4 u
2007-09-18 16:23:18 · 6 answers · asked by T.I. VS T.I.P. 2 in Arts & Humanities ➔ History
Spreedog133 is right so far as he goes, but there's a lot more to it. What does the whole quote mean? Jefferson said that man is endowed by his creator with certain unalienable rights (or was it inalienable? I can never remember.) And that AMONG these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
I have seldom seen a more excellent exposition of the concept of "natural law". It was a notion that had a good deal of philosophical support in the late 18th century among liberal intellectuals. The idea of natural law is that some law derives not from man, but rather exists independently as part of a natural or divine order. Jefferson's reference to these rights deriving from a "creator" makes clear that he preferred to think of them as part of a divine order.
This phrase from the Declaration is an explicit statement that some rights are divinely granted to all men and are not subject to repeal by any human agency or power. As such, it constitutes a definitive recognition not only of universally held rights but is also a statement that implies recognition of a divine power greater than that of any government.
A long time ago, when I was studying law, I took a course in the philosophy of law in which the concept of natural law was addressed. Later, when I was rereading the Declaration and came across that particular passage, I was thunderstruck by it.
2007-09-18 17:06:16 · answer #1 · answered by neoimperialistxxi 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It's a play on words with John Locke's quote that man has certain human rights - among which are life, liberty, and the pursuit of property. "Property" sounded too crass for the founding fathers, though this is what they really meant in my opinion. Property was very important to the founding fathers, all of whom owned land or businesses.
Locke was an English political philosopher writing at the time of the "Glorious Revolution" in 1688 England. His "Two Treatises of Government" published in 1689 became popular in America in the 1760s when Thomas Jefferson would have read them. Of course Jefferson was the primary author of America's Declaration of Independence in 1776 which included those famous words:Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.
2007-09-18 16:28:39 · answer #2 · answered by Spreedog 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It means that all men have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Notice it does not say that all men have the right of happiness. It just means that we have a right to pursue the things in life that will bring us joy, within the legal frame work of law. If one breaks the law then all three things can be taken away by the legal system. You can not hurt or kill someone if that makes you happy because by doing so you are infringing upon the other persons rights. And yeah like the first guy said the real idea for this was not one of Jefferson's but of John Locke. He used property due to the fact that if you owned property you had some amount of financial support. You were not poor. So everyone has a right to go after things in life that may make them happy.
2007-09-18 17:48:57 · answer #3 · answered by Prof. Dave 7 · 4⤊ 1⤋
life-meaning you have the right to be alive because it's part of the nature of things, liberty- the right to exist without shackles specifically not totalitarian governance or rigid aristocracy who make decisions for you. it is also a nod to the right to pursue one's course without impediment because of one's social or "natural" position separate from the pursuit of happiness. And even more than that it means the ability to not have to justify one's survival.
Pursuit of Happiness--to achieve a level of prosperity that allows for growth, relaxation, and spiritual awakening without the dogged oppression of a society bent on preventing social or spiritual awareness or bent on keeping those with a lesser degree of economic status from ever achieving a greater status.
But what it really means to me beyond all of that is my love affair with the ideals of democracy.
2007-09-18 16:46:53 · answer #4 · answered by qris 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It's meaningless. What about the quality of life. It doesn't define liberty; society always needs some restrictions.
You can't pursue happiness, it's a temporary outcome of certain conditions most of which we don't control
2007-09-18 18:32:19 · answer #5 · answered by brainstorm 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
it says it all in the title dood..
LIFE: live life the way you want to live.. any way.. it doesnt matter if you go out naked or whatever just live life the way you want to live it..
LIBERTY: live life free.. it doesnt matter no one has to tell you what to do.. just do whatever you want..
PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS: as long as you live happily then you are living great!! it doesnt matter if you live in a multimillion dollar house and you just live alone... as long as your happy then dood live life..
do you see where its kindof going?
life is life.. whatever you want to do with it do it..
but dont do crasy things like what O.J. Simpson where hes like a billionare.. and did an armed robbery.. dood that guy is just retarted.. lol
anyway i hope that answered ur ?
:]
2007-09-18 16:33:58 · answer #6 · answered by TennisStar12 2 · 1⤊ 3⤋