Analytical Paper 1

In your 1st Analytical Paper of 5-6 pages (double spaced), discuss, comment upon, and analyze how the Founding generation understood the concept of “liberty.” Where did their views about liberty come from, and in your view what aspect(s) of it were most important to them? What contradictions or dilemmas about liberty do you identify in their thinking?

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Founders’ View of Liberty

According to John Locke, liberty includes the ability to engage in various activities as a free man within a particular political environment. Notably, different scholars, activists, and other people with interest in the political sector have often quoted “liberty” as one of the issues they seek to guarantee that everyone has. The American Declaration of Independence was categorical on including it in writing, which makes it one of the primary pillars on which the American society is founded. However, the question lies on whether liberty has changed across the centuries, which would in turn help understand the implication of liberty to the founding fathers. In essence, there have been significant improvements to the constitution to indicate that the founders’ perception of liberty varies significantly from the contemporary understanding of the word.

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