Thomas Jefferson incorporated john Locke's social contract theory in the Declaration of Independence to emphasize the importance of individual rights and the government's responsibility to protect them. Locke's idea that governments derive their legitimacy from the consent of the governed underpins the assertion that people have the right to alter or abolish a government that fails to uphold their rights. This philosophical foundation justified the colonies' break from British rule, framing it as a rightful response to tyranny and an affirmation of the principles of liberty and self-governance.
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