Our Declaration: A Reading of the Declaration of Independence in Defense of Equality

While the first two sentences of the Declaration make sweeping claims about humanity’s capacity to use government and determine happiness, its third sentence provides a counterweight, a safeguard against fears of judging incorrectly. Humans need to rely on “collective intelligence” to make consequential decisions about their future, as the colonists did when explaining the many areas in which George III failed them. At the same time, the consequences of this failure offer another insight into the theme of equality: The king, in falling into tyranny, has failed at “reciprocity,” at “fair give and take,” which is an essential aspect of “justice in human relationships” (192). This section of the Declaration is generally more cautious and practical.

Allen admits that much of human psychology and personal experience suggests that people are frequently bad at determining their own happiness; sometimes they even repeat the same errors, like people staying in bad relationships. The Declaration’s next sentence has this problem in mind since Jefferson states that revolution is rare, and people are more likely to endure known hardship than constantly pursue change. He addresses a “hidden question” at this point: Why, if revolution is a right, do people not constantly pursue it? The answer is both “prudence” and “habit.