Existing comment:
1644
1649-1660
1690
John Locke publishes his magnum opus, Two Treatises of Government, which explores the origins of government and, more importantly, the origin of rights. He argues that people have rights to life, liberty, and property that predate governments; that these rights are inalienable; and that people are justified in revolting against governments that violate their rights.
1720-1723
Mid-18th Century
1776
Scottish philosopher Adam Smith publishes The Wealth of Nations, often considered the birth of modern economics. In the book he lays out the case for free trade and free markets, denounces protectionism, and asserts that the "invisible hand" of economic incentives guides people to help each other out of rational self-interest rather than altruistic motives.
January 1776
Thomas Paine's revolutionary pamphlet Common Sense presents a radical case against monarchy and for the American colonies to pursue independence as a liberal republic. Widely popular, Paine's arguments help persuade the colonists to reject the British monarchy altogether rather than seeking reconciliation with the Crown.
"Society in every state is a blessing, but government even in its best state is but a necessary evil."
July 4, 1776
1787-1791
1792 |