The Declaration of Independence and God : self-evident truths in American law / Owen Anderson, Arizona State University.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Anderson, Owen J., author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

United States. Declaration of Independence.

United States.

Religion and law--United States.

Religion and law.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (ix, 205 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).

Other Title:

The Declaration of Independence & God

Place of Publication:

Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2015.

Summary:

'Self-evident truths' was a profound concept used by the drafters of the American Declaration of Independence to insist on their rights and freedom from oppressive government. How did this Enlightenment notion of self-evident human rights come to be used in this historic document and what is its true meaning? In The Declaration of Independence and God, Owen Anderson traces the concept of a self-evident creator through America's legal history. Starting from the Declaration of Independence, Anderson considers both challenges to belief in God from thinkers like Thomas Paine and American Darwinists, as well as modifications to the concept of God by theologians like Charles Finney and Paul Tillich. Combining history, philosophy and law in a unique focus, this book opens exciting new avenues for the study of America's legal history.

Contents:

The formula of the Declaration of Independence : epistemology, metaphysics, ethics

Thomas Jefferson and Thomas Paine

The reformed influence on common sense philosophy

Common sense and self-evident in law

Intuition and the self-evident in law

Naturalism, Darwinism, the self-evident, and law

Revivalism, new religious movements, and law

Liberal theology and legal transformations

Secular and religious goods in the twentieth century

Building on past insights : a philosophy of history.

Notes:

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 05 Oct 2015).

ISBN:

1-316-40395-5

1-316-40625-3

1-316-40533-8

1-316-40602-4

1-316-10468-0

1-316-40648-2

1-316-40671-7

OCLC:

924638639