John Locke, an Enlightenment-era philosopher, influenced the American movement for independence. Locke believed that all people were entitled to natural rights. Which quotation from the preamble to the Declaration of Independence refers to natural rights?
Answer
A
“[I]t is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.”
B
“[T]hey are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
C
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”
D
“Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”
Explanation
Natural rights are rights people possess inherently, rather than rights granted by a government. The quotation naming “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” as “unalienable Rights” directly describes those natural rights, so the correct choice is A. Choice B concerns how governments get their authority, and choice C concerns the right to replace an unjust government.
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