| The social contract theory of John Locke | | | | "And thus that which begins and actually |
| provided the philosophy and source of governing | | | | constitutes any political society is nothing but the |
| authority for both U.S. Constitution and the | | | | consent of any number of freemen capable of a |
| Declaration of Independence. Jefferson borrowed | | | | majority to uniteâ¦this is that, AND THAT |
| freely from Locke's phraseology. | | | | ONLY, which did or could give beginning to any |
| John Locke laid out the social contract in the 5th | | | | lawful governmentâ¦" [John Locke, Second |
| paragraph of the chapter entitled "Of the | | | | Treatise of Government (New York, NY: The |
| Beginning of Political Societies" in his "Second | | | | Liberal Arts Press, 1952), p. 56]. This is the heart |
| Treatise on Government". There he states that | | | | of democratic social theory -- note the |
| the will of the majority is the only source of | | | | conspicuous exclusion of God and the ruling |
| authority for civil government. God and His law | | | | authority of His Word. |
| are ignored. | | | | |