试析杰斐逊对自然权利思想的发展

杰斐逊是美国早期的民主思想家,是近代自然权利思想发展史上的重要代表人物。在由杰斐逊起草的1776年《独立宣言》中,他以洛克的自然权利思想为基础提出了人类三项自然权利:生命权、自由权和追求幸福权。杰斐逊以追求幸福权取代洛克的财产权,从而赋予近代自然权利思想以民主的意义。从自然法和历史传统两个角度,杰斐逊论证了自然权利的正当性;此外,杰斐逊还提出多数派应该尊重少数派权利,推动了近代民主思想的发展。

An Analysis of Jefferson''''s Contribution to Natural Rights

Thomas Jefferson was a famous democratic thinker in the earlier history of the USA and was also an important representative figure in the development of natural rights.The Declaration of Independence,drawn by Jefferson,is a brilliant document in modern political history.In this document,based on John Locke's theory of natural rights,Jefferson advocated that mankind had three natural rights: life,liberty and pursuit of happiness.Jefferson substituted pursuit of happiness for Locke's property right and imposed a democratic sense on modern natural rights.From the angle of natural law and the history of the Anglo-Saxons,Jefferson tried to prove that the natural rights of Americans were holy and unalienable.Furthermore,Jefferson held the opinion that the majority should respect the rights of the minority and thus he quickened the development of modern democratic thoughts.