At the founding of the United States, two conflicting philosophies vied for supremacy.
The first, influenced by the more liberal aspects of the so-called Enlightenment, argued for a more democratic social-political structure under the assumption that all men are created equal. This philosophy sprang forth from the writings of John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau.
The second, influenced by the more conservative elements of the so-called Enlightenment, argued for more authoritarian rule because of human depravity. This viewpoint is mainly associated with Thomas Hobbes.
Liberal thinkers in what would become the United States succeeded in enshrining their worldview in the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation and the U.S. Constitution. Because both sides found common ground in Anglo-Saxon supremacy, as “all men” meant “all white men with property,” a compromise was reached.
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