No other philosopher was more influential than John Locke. His treatises on government embraced the ideals of his period: People were inherently free due to their own nature and that no person had power over another. John Locke’s Second Treatise of Government outlined his idea of a social contract that people make as a society. By mutual consent, they create a government to guard their natural rights to life, liberty and property. Following his argument, Locke introduced the idea that if a government fails to protect these inalienable rights then the governed have every reason and right to overthrow the unjust government. Locke’s ideas were widely accepted by many philosophers around him, especially the Locke’s doctrine of the natural rights of humans and his idea of a constitutional government. The doctrine of rights influenced Thomas Jefferson when he wrote the Declaration of Independence.