The founding of the Unites States is fundamentally rooted a deep philosophic tradition that is heavily influenced by the Greek philosophy (Plato, Socrates, and Aristotle), Revelation (or the religious tradition) and Natural Law. Natural Law or the Law of Nature is key to understanding the writings of the founders, particularly the Declaration of Independence which serves as the basis by which the rest of the revolution was rooted. In the Declaration of Independence Thomas Jefferson was charged with justifying a full out rebellion against the King of England meaning he needed to delegitimize his authority over the colonies. In order to do so Jefferson called upon the collective philosophic tradition of natural law in order to undermine the king’s claim to his own thrown.

Natural Law is he concept that human beings are able to discover a moral code that is fundamental to the nature of the universe through the utility of their own reason. Natural Law is a moral law that is codified into the very nature of things themselves and is something that humans can translate with our own independent thought. Jefferson used this as a justification for rebellion against the king in order to legitimize their separation from England and establish a new independent political order based on popular sovereignty and the idea that “all men are created equal” setting the American Revolution apart from all other revolutions that proceeded it.

In order to do this Jefferson made the important distinction between natural law and religious law. Religious law is handed down from on high, meaning it is heaven sent, yet natural law is discovered by human reason meaning that humans are the enactors of the law, not the Church. This is important because religious law was long used to legitimize the rule of kings and queens, yet Jefferson and many other enlightenment thinkers discovered they could circumvent religious law through Natural Law and delegitimize the rule of abusive monarchs. They could use reason to create a moral code that proved the king to be unjust, instead of relying solely on the authority of God or his arbiter the church to determine who should rule. This was, in many ways, revolutionary. Individuals now could choose their rulers based on merit instead of arbitrary divine right. The precedent of natural law was fundamental to the establishment of the United States and continues to play a key role in the political discourse of today. Going forward it is important to keep in mind the long held philosophic traditions that continues to influence the way that we think about the world today so that we can firmly establish a better world for tomorrow.