Truths which are self-evident?

Question

Ok well i'll come out here now and admit that this is a homework question lol but its only worth 1 point out of like 30. I wasnt at school when my class went over this...

The Declaration speaks of "truths" which are "self-evident." What are these "truths"? Why are they called "truths"? What makes them "self-evident"?

lol thats all of number 7. im planning on talking to my teacher tomorrow so i can get a better understanding of this stuff but i figured while I was on yahoo answers i could get some help from you lovely people =]
thank you!

Answer 1

That men are created with certain ineleable rights.... life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness

Answer 2

The Self Evident Truths of the Declaration of Independence -

1. That all men are created equal
2. That god has endowed man with the unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness
3. The the government only has its power because the people consent to be governed
4. That when a government becomes destructive the people have the right to alter or abolish it and institute a new government in its place

They're called truths because they were stating them as facts, not opinions.

They called self-evident because the authors of the declaration were trying to say that they thought it was rather obvious and why didn't the Brits get it?

It was basically a laundry list of excuses and reasons why they were committing treason against the crown.

Answer 3

The Declaration of Independance is the cornerstone of our American Culture. It was forged by great turmoil and birthed by one man, Thomas Jefferson.

The document is essentially a plea for freedom from the oppression that was being felt at the time by the colonist. The funny thing about this "oppression" was that there was never the kind of physical oppression we see today or even in history , of a people like the jews of Israel or the Slaves of the south, but rather it was an oppression of the mind, spirit, and of the heart.

In the heart of every man is the spark of his creator. This spark is manifest by mankinds' constant desire to be free of all restraint in pursuit of his own happiness.

This is the "self evident truth" that Jefferson speaks of in the document. You can feel it in your heart and me in mine. It is self evident.

May I suggest you READ the document and endeavour to understand the times in which it was written. My telling you the meaning is a poor redendition of the beauty and reality of the document that is there for each American and each freedom loving human being to discover for himself.

To treat this as a school "project" or a lesson plan is to miss the fundamental purpose of the document. It was NOT just a declaration, as if it were some "opinion" being ratified by the current Congress of the United States, but rather, it was a document to die for. And that fact was well known to all the signatores. Had any one of them been caught by the British they would have been summarily executed on the spot, their property seized, and their family put in jail. It was serious business, this declarating stuff.

The Declaration of Independance is said to be the Birth Certificate of this country. It is from this document that we as a people formed a country, adopted a Constitution, and set out on what is now referred to as the Great Experiment-to see if man can come together in a common cause and govern himself.

The document holds forth great ideas of which we as a people aspire to. It is not a Declaration of Facts or even a Declaration of Principals, but rather a Declaration of Ideals. It recognizes our faults and points us always in the right direction. This country has underwent many a turmoil in 225 years. And each and evert time we have been reminded by the words of this document as to the direction we should be going in. The Declaration of Independance is like a self correcting cloosed loop feedback system. Always sensing our direction-always pointing us in the right direction-and always reminding us that we as a people owe our current situation to the aspiring words of this document.

You can only get an "understanding" of this document by studying it and the history of the American people. That is another truth that is self-evident.

Answer 4

that all men are created equal? It may not be so evident, but it's a good war cry for the revolutionists......

Answer 5

except for the last paragraph, Heather nails it!