The above phrase is one of the most quoted statements from the entire Declaration of Independence. It is definitely one of our favorite statements from the Declaration, but why is this quote so cherished? There are certainly many answers to this question, but one of the major reasons is because this statement defines what we as Americans believe. Let me say that again: this statement defines what we as Americans believe. We briefly mentioned in Liberty Essay #1: The Documents That Built America that America is able to be so diverse because of our ability to put differences aside and believe in a common value or idea. When people from other countries ask what Americans value, this quote articulates our common values. This quote from the Declaration is not as divisive as many may make it out to be. Instead, this statement is an invitation for all those who appreciate these American values to join in the pursuit of the American dream. With that invitation comes a unification of a group of people from very different backgrounds to join in this pursuit. It is unfortunate that in recent American history many Americans, both young and old, do not believe in the grandeur of this quote anymore. But it is this idea that sets up our entire country. And it is this idea that we must reaffirm to preserve our republic and our way of life. The goal of this essay is to briefly explain this quote and to inspire modern Americans and patriots to reunite behind our shared heritage.

Let us briefly discuss what is being said in this fantastic statement. Thomas Jefferson, who wrote this document, explains in this statement that he, the other Founders, the colonists, and all Americans maintain that there are truths that are so visibly and inherently obvious that they are “self-evident.” After this statement, he then lists the truths that all Americans hold as self-evident. Those truths are 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 overview is a very basic and brief understanding of this statement from the Declaration.

So, a fair follow up question would be, “Well, why is this at the core of what Americans believe or why should it be what Americans believe and value?” The answer is that the truths mentioned in this quote are basic truths among all mankind. This statement from the Declaration reaffirms that Americans believe and hold fast to these basic truths. When Jefferson wrote these beautiful words, he put it out there that we Americans hold to the basic rights guaranteed to all mankind by God, and that we Americans are willing to fight for those rights and those truths. These truths and rights are part of the law of nature. In the Second Treatise of Government by John Locke in 1690, Locke states that “in transgressing the law of nature, the offender declares himself to live by another rule than that of reason and common equity, which is that measure God has set to the actions of men, for their mutual security; and so he becomes dangerous to mankind…” When Mr. Jefferson wrote this statement in the Declaration, he is explaining to the king of England that the colonies hold fast to rights given to us in the law of nature, and that the king has transgressed these rights. Thus, the king has become dangerous to the way of life for the colonists. So, Mr. Jefferson and all Americans boldly declare that we hold to these truths. This is the reason why we Americans must continue to reaffirm and hold to these truths because it’s in our very being. So, the next obvious and fair question would be, “Are these truths mentioned in this statement really basic truths among all humans? Are they really part of the law of nature?” The answer is yes. Let us continue with a very brief discussion of each truth declared in the statement.

Beginning with “all men are created equal,” are all men really created equal? In the sense in which we all look the same, have the same physical characteristics, have the same IQ points, and so on, the answer is no, not everyone is created equal in that understanding of equality. However, what is true is that all men are created equal in terms of worth. Because God our Creator made us in His image, we get our worth from Him. This is a basic understanding among humans everywhere, that all men are created equal in that regard, whether they are Christian, Jewish, Muslim, black, Hispanic, white, male, female, etc. This doesn’t mean that mankind has always treated each other this way, but it is a truth that we all have an inherent equal worth because we are humans created in the image of God. Again, John Locke articulates it well in his Second Treatise of Government when he says, “for men being all the workmanship of one omnipotent and infinitely wise Maker; all the servants of one sovereign master, sent into the world by his order, and about his business; they are his property, whose workmanship they are, made to last during his, not another’s pleasure: and being furnished with like faculties, sharing all in one community of nature…” If we are all God’s workmanship, is one individual unequal in comparison to another in terms of being more valuable or better or worse than another? For example, if we are all tools, is the hammer better than the screwdriver? Anyone with reason would respond saying, “That’s a dumb question.” Everyone knows the hammer is better at being a hammer, and the screwdriver is better at being a screwdriver, but is one more valuable than the other? The answer is no. They are both valuable in being tools. Obviously, a hammer would be more valuable when you need a hammer, but what I am getting at is that they are both tools and they have their worth in being tools. Humans get their value and worth from being humans created in the image of God and being created for His purpose. Therefore, this is a truth among all humans, that all men are indeed created equal.

Following this truth, we move to the truth that all men are given the unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness by God. In this essay, we will only briefly cover each of these rights, but in future essays we will discuss them in much greater detail. In regards to these rights, they are again a basic truth among all mankind, and everyone at their core knows this. Starting with the unalienable right to life, as soon as one is conceived in the womb, that individual has a right to life. There is simply no argument against this. The right to life is one of those things that is very clearly black and white and there is no compromise to it (we may discuss this in future essays). Every human has a basic right to liberty in terms of free will. This was demonstrated clearly back in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve freely chose their own will over God’s to be disobedient and take the fruit. We all have liberty and free will to make decisions for ourselves.

And lastly, every human has an inherent right to pursue happiness. Pursuit of happiness is not what many read and think it is. Mr. Jefferson is not saying that men are free to pursue whatever makes them happy. Aristotle in his Nicomachean Ethics, written around 350 B.C, says, “But about happiness—what it is—they are in dispute, and most people do not give the same account of it as the wise. Some people take it to be something visible and obvious, such as pleasure or wealth or honor, and different ones say different things, and even the same person often says different things…” The Founders had a different meaning when they declared that pursuit of happiness was an unalienable right. Again, this concept is something that will need to be discussed in further detail in later essays.

But to address the original question posed in paragraph three, “Are these truths mentioned in this statement really basic truths among all humans?” We already answered yes. Now, to expand upon it, John Locke states in his Second Treatise of Government, “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…” There are a few things we can take away from Locke’s statement here, but I would like to focus on the fact that he mentions a law of nature which governs the state of nature. Saint Pope John Paul II stated on March 1, 2000 in reference to the Ten Commandments, “Yahweh wrote them in stone, but above all he inscribed them in every human heart as the universal moral law, valid and current in every time and place. This law prevents egoism, hatred, falsehood and contempt from destroying the human person.” Saint Paul, in his letter to the Romans, confirms what Saint Pope John Paul II was saying, “They show that the demands of the law are written in their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even defend them” (Romans 2:15).

All of the quotes referenced to in the previous paragraph all point to a natural law that is ingrained in every human being. And it is true that there is a natural law implanted into each one of us by God our Creator. This is why almost everyone, with very few exceptions, but essentially everyone, knows when they are doing something right or doing something wrong. We all know deep down when we are transgressing the law of nature because God– through His beautiful grace, mercy, and love for us– gave us a conscience that tends to become active when we transgress this law. And with our free will, our liberty, God allows us to decide if we will listen to that conscience or ignore it. Similar to the story of the good wolf and bad wolf in each of us, when we feed the good wolf by obeying the natural law and repenting when we transgress in obedience to our conscience, we grow in virtue and humility. However, when we transgress the natural law, and then do not repent with contrition to our conscience’s warnings, we harden our hearts and conscience, falling down the path to pride and arrogance. In that situation, we feed the bad wolf, and the bad wolf inside of us becomes stronger. My belief as a Christian Catholic is that God through His steadfast love can still save the most hardened heart (so do not be discouraged, look to His cross), but I write about this in reference to the Declaration of Independence, why? Because the Founding Fathers of our great nation chose to courageously proclaim that our country, the United States of America, follows the natural law in humble obedience, and we choose to feed the good wolf by upholding the unalienable rights given in it!

To briefly conclude, Thomas Jefferson and the other Founders, when they declare in the Declaration of Independence, “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,” they are courageously declaring to an authoritarian king basic truths that all humans inherently know. Truths that are ingrained in each one of us. Truths that are carved into the heart of every human. This is why this statement has so much power, it is because any human being can get behind it. This is the belief that our country needs to re-declare and pursue together. This is the belief that true Americans and patriots must unite behind. This belief allowed 13 colonies and 56 different men to throw a just revolution and set up their own country. This belief is what makes us Americans, because We Hold These Truths To Be Self-Evident.

God Bless you all, and God Bless the United States of America.