“Not everyone agreed on the new societies formed after the miracle. Even the greatest Enlightenment thinkers, like John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, had differing views. Locke believed the state’s purpose was to protect property, while Rousseau argued it should defend the collective. Locke thought modern states emerged to escape the “state of nature,” where people constantly fought for survival. He believed states ensured rights to life, liberty, and property, which nature couldn’t safeguard.

These ideas influenced America’s Founding Fathers. They adopted Locke’s property right concept but changed it to the pursuit of happiness in the Declaration of Independence, aligning with Locke’s belief that property led to happiness.

Rousseau, however, disagreed. He felt the state should protect society’s interests, as he believed people were good but got corrupted by society. His personal experiences in Paris led him to think society corrupts everyone.

He argued for submitting individual interests to the General Will, society’s collective interest. Robespierre later used Rousseau’s ideas to justify a brutal dictatorship after the French Revolution. These historical debates remain crucial today in deciding the balance between individual rights and the common good.”