Which philosopher’s idea of natural rights influenced the American founding?

• A. Thomas Hobbes
• B. John Locke
• C. Voltaire
• D. Karl Marx

Answer: (B)

The idea being tested is how natural rights shape how a government should be formed and limited. John Locke argued that people have rights to life, liberty, and property by nature, not granted by rulers, and that governments exist only to protect these rights with the people’s consent. If a government fails to protect rights or tries to take them away, people have the right to alter or overthrow it. This thinking directly influenced the American founding, leading to language in the Declaration about unalienable rights and government based on consent, with power justified by the people. Other Enlightenment thinkers contributed to the era, but Locke’s emphasis on natural rights and government by consent makes his ideas the most influential here.