Legal History Commons^™

Reason To Ratify: The Influence Of John Locke's Religious Beliefs On The Creation And Adoption Of The United States Constitution, David L. Wardle

Seattle University Law Review

The pervasive influence of Lockean religious convictions motivated the framers of the Constitution to establish a new form of government, provided the theoretical basis for the document itself, and inspired its popular ratification. Part II will lay the groundwork for this thesis by outlining Locke's life and sources of his religious beliefs. Part III will undertake a more substantive examination of Locke's opinions and the writings that memorialized them. Establishing how Lockean ideas of natural law, social contract, and reason are related to the inspiration, drafting, and acceptance of the Constitution takes place in Part IV, before the article's conclusion …