Self-evident truths

Robert Walker

Chapter 2 in Is China Right?, 2026, pp 14-24 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: US culture is based on the written word; The Declaration of Independence, The Constitution and The Bill of Rights being the principal sources. The Declaration refers to self-evident truths, that men are created equal and endowed with rights to ‘Life’, ‘Liberty’ and ‘the pursuit of Happiness’. The self-evident nature of these rights is taken to mean that they are universal, with US leaders taking it as their responsibility to ensure all governments align with these values. In fact, these values are culturally and historically specific. The right to life is qualified, the state being permitted to end it judicially. Liberty is narrowly construed as freedom from government interference and is, thus, a negative right: a ‘freedom from’ rather than ‘freedom to’. The pursuit of happiness may be an extension of the pursuit of property, while equality is an essence inherent in humanity, not a pursuit of government which would conflict with liberty.

Keywords: The Declaration of Independence; Life; Liberty; Pursuit of Happiness; Equality; Hegemony (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035329229
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