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Faith, Reason, and the Declaration of Independence
Author: Dr. Christopher Kaczor
Source: Word on Fire
Reading Time: 6 minutes
Introduction: The Enduring Question of the Declaration
As the Declaration of Independence approaches its 250th anniversary, its most famous line continues to provoke reflection:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
The article poses a central question: Is this statement a matter of philosophy or of faith? Dr. Kaczor argues that it is both. The sentence contains the fundamental convictions of the American Founders – convictions reflecting a reasonable faith and a faithful reason. Understanding this duality teaches us something important about the founding vision of the United States and the current possibilities for national renewal.
Thomas Jefferson: The Inconsistent Eclectic
When seeking to understand the Declaration, Thomas Jefferson deserves special attention because he wrote the first draft, most of which remained in the final version. However, Jefferson communicated seemingly contradictory statements on various occasions, which compounds the difficulty of interpreting the Declaration.
The article quotes biographer Dumas Malone:
“The boldness of his mind was sheathed in a scabbard of politeness. It would have been surprising if such a man did not occasionally cross the thin line between courtesy and deception.”
Despite this complexity, the article suggests we may hope that Jefferson would not deceive a friend in a private letter. In one such letter, Jefferson revealed that in drafting the Declaration, he was drawing upon and synthesizing a wide variety of sources – both purely secular and those influenced by the sacred.
Jefferson’s Own Explanation of His Sources
The article reproduces Jefferson’s own words on his method:
“This was the object of the Declaration of Independence. Not to find new principles, or new arguments, never before thought of, not merely to say things which had never been said before; but to place before mankind the common sense of the subject, in terms so plain and firm as to command their assent. . . . Neither aiming at originality of principles or sentiments, nor yet copied from any particular and previous writing, it was intended to be an expression of the American mind. . . . All its authority rests then on the harmonizing sentiments of the day, whether expressed in conversation, in letters, printed essays or the elementary books of public right, as Aristotle, Cicero, Locke, Sidney, etc.”
The Tension Between Aristotle and Locke
The article points out that the authors Jefferson cited are at odds with one another over many matters:
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Aristotle – A man of pure philosophy. Although he wrote about an Unmoved Mover, he knew nothing of the God of Abraham.
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John Locke – Not just a philosopher but also a committed Christian who commented on the Book of Genesis and wrote The Reasonableness of Christianity.
Yet, despite their differences, Jefferson saw that both Aristotle and Locke made a contribution to the making of the American mind.
The “Etc.” – Opening the Door to Rival Interpretations
The article notes that Jefferson concludes his list of influences with an “etc.” – and in mentioning “and others,” he opens the door to considering the Declaration from a variety of other perspectives.
This has led to rival interpretations of what Jefferson was seeking to say. Various readers have found in the Declaration:
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A Machiavellian Jefferson
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A Marxist Jefferson
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A Ku Klux Klan Jefferson
The article warns that no doubt, other Jeffersons will continue to emerge.
Jefferson as Practical Man, Not Systematic Theoretician
The article draws on philosopher Alasdair MacIntyre to explain this bewildering variety of possible understandings:
“Jefferson was, so far as philosophy was concerned, an inconsistent eclectic – the greatest of inconsistent eclectics certainly, but no less inconsistent and no less eclectic for that. So it is unsurprising that Lockean, Hutchesonian, Reidian and other views are all there together in Jefferson’s notebooks and in his mind.”
The conclusion: We will search in vain for a systematic theory in Jefferson. He was a learned man, but primarily, he was a practical man. His goal was to free his people rather than to construct a theory.
The Role of the Drafting Committee
Although the original draft was composed by Jefferson alone, the drafting committee included:
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Benjamin Franklin
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Robert Livingston
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Roger Sherman
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John Adams
These men also made their mark on the Declaration, putting their honor, property, and lives at risk for treason. John Adams saw the principles of the American Revolution as the principles of both:
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Pagan philosophers (Plato, Aristotle, Cicero)
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Christian thinkers (Locke, Reid, Hooker)
The article emphasizes: “The intellectual milieu of 1776 was informed by a choir of philosophical and religious voices in rich harmony.”
The Key Editorial Change: From “Sacred” to “Self-Evident”
One of the most significant moments in the article is the discussion of a specific edit:
In his original draft, Jefferson had written: “we hold these truths to be sacred and undeniable.”
Someone on the committee – Franklin, perhaps – edited the text to read: “we hold these truths to be self-evident.”
The article explains the significance of this change:
“This change made the text more philosophical. The Declaration’s claims are not merely religious but a matter of reason.”
The Middle Path: Neither Sectarian Nor Secular
At the same time, the article notes, the Declaration still speaks of the Creator endowing us with inalienable rights. In this way, the Declaration avoids both:
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A sectarian religious approach (imposing one specific denomination’s views)
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A secular denial of the Divine (rejecting God altogether)
The signers of the Declaration – Jefferson included – reflected a broad consensus about a reasonable faith and a faithful reason, despite their differences in the details of how this relationship of faith and reason is to be exactly understood.
Conclusion: A Lesson for Today
The article concludes with a pointed application for contemporary readers:
“For those who today think that faith and reason must always stand in opposition, the Founders point to a middle path.”
Article Context
This piece is part of a series in which Dr. Christopher Kaczor will provide more insights leading up to the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
Key Themes Summary
| Theme | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Faith and Reason Together | The Declaration embodies both religious conviction and philosophical reasoning, not one or the other. |
| Jefferson as Eclectic | Jefferson was not a systematic theorist but a practical leader who synthesized diverse sources. |
| The “Self-Evident” Edit | Changing “sacred” to “self-evident” moved the text toward philosophical language while retaining the Creator. |
| Committee Influence | Franklin, Adams, and others shaped the final document; Adams saw both pagan and Christian influences. |
| Against False Dichotomies | The Founders reject the modern idea that faith and reason are opposed. |
| A Middle Path | The Declaration avoids sectarianism and secularism, grounding rights in both reason and the Creator. |
A Brief Reflection
Dr. Kaczor’s article serves as a timely reminder that the American founding was not a purely secular Enlightenment project, nor was it a narrowly Christian theological document. Instead, the Declaration of Independence represents a third way: a conviction that certain truths about human dignity and rights are accessible to both faith and reason, working in harmony. For believers and non-believers alike, this vision offers a foundation for civil discourse and national renewal – something as needed in 2026 as it was in 1776.
