Thomas Jefferson to the Gallows

The United States’ Declaration of Independence is, arguably, the most famous document ever written and is certainly one of the most important. It established the United States, which is now the most powerful country in the world. Also, it’s served as a cornerstone for a handful of other countries’ declarations of independence. For this, we owe much thanks to the Founding Fathers and specifically Thomas Jefferson for writing the whole thing. But Jefferson copied his ideas off of Locke and, according to Locke’s Second Treatise, he should’ve been killed before he even got to reach his presidency.

In the Declaration of Independence, it’s pretty apparent Thomas Jefferson copied Locke’s theories without giving the philosopher any credit. Although Jefferson never ‘took credit’ for the document, he penned it and it’s generally agreed that he’s the author. Listed below is a passage from Locke and the Declaration itself:

Locke: “The state of nature has a law of nature to govern it, which obliges every one: and reason, which is that law, teaches all mankind, who will but consult it, that being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions.” Second Treatise of Government, Ch. II, sec. 6

DoI: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness..."

This website shows another instance where Jefferson clearly ripped off Locke without crediting him.

One could argue then that Thomas Jefferson was acting as a thief by copying Locke. Jefferson didn’t word-for-word plagiarize, but he stole the ideas and passed them off without crediting their founder – Locke. Those philosophies were Locke’s own property and he had sole rights to them. By Jefferson copying, he took Locke’s liberty (property rights) away. According to what we just read in chapter three of Second Treatise, Jefferson could have justifiably been killed (which is ironic because Locke’s the man he plagiarized).

Sec. 18. "This makes it lawful for a man to kill a thief, who has not in the least hurt him, nor declared any design upon his life, any farther than, by the use of force, so to get him in his power, as to take away his money, or what he pleases, from him; because using force, where he has no right, to get me into his power, let his pretence be what it will, I have no reason to suppose, that he, who would take away my liberty, would not, when he had me in his power, take away every thing else. And therefore it is lawful for me to treat him as one who has put himself into a state of war with me, i.e. kill him if I can; for to that hazard does he justly expose himself, whoever introduces a state of war, and is aggressor in it."

Good ole Tom could be classified as the ‘aggressor’ in this situation, and then Locke has the right to “kill him if [he could].” If Jefferson was willing to take his ideas, what would stop him from taking Locke’s life? If Locke was able to kill Jefferson, he could make the argument that he was ‘preserving himself.’ This seems quite severe and an overreaction, but perhaps that’s an issue with Locke’s state of nature…

Now I'm not arguing there should have been a public execution of Thomas Jefferson to make a statement about the infringement upon private property; actually that would have been a terrible idea and devastating for the young country's future. But, I find it fascinating the United States' statement of independence was essentially plagiarized by means of 'patchwriting.'

                                                                                                                       This video starts out well, but deviates pretty quickly. Nonetheless, it's still entertaining.