Founding fathers i američka Deklaracija neovisnosti

master's thesis

• Title (english): Founding fathers and The American Declaration of Independence
• Author: Neven Vrbetić
• Mentor: Zrinka Erent-Sunko (mentor)
• Committee member: Zrinka Erent-Sunko (predsjednik povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Ivan Obadić (član povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Iva Lopižić (član povjerenstva)
• Granter: University of Zagreb; Faculty of Law; (General History of Law and State); Zagreb
• Defense date and country: 2024-04-10, Croatia
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: SOCIAL SCIENCES; Law

Abstract

This paper explores the background and events that led to Declaration of Independence. It features biographies of Founding fathers that were elected into the Committee of Five allowing us deeper insight into their psyche as well as their political stances and motivation. Featuring summaries of lives of Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman and Robert R. Livingston. All this information is analyzed in order to showcase how are the personalities of the five Founding fathers embedded into the Declaration itself. The main purpose of this paper was to prove that legal documents are not devoid of human emotion but instead are a product of personalities of their authors. While certain legal philosophers claim that law should be analyzed without any reference to political, social, moral or even historical context this paper aims to refute that claim showing that legal documents have to be analyzed while taking aforementioned into consideration. Every major legal document was made with a specific goal in mind and influenced not just by their authors but by the circumstances that were present leading up to the moment of its creation. To ignore the societal needs that resulted in creation of said document would imply not only that the law is completely separate entity from society but the law is a purpose on its own which would be a grave error. Law exists to serve societies needs and has to adapt to them and not to be its own purpose.

Abstract (english)

Ovaj rad istražuje pozadinu I događaje koji su doveli do Deklaracije neovisnosti. Sadrži biografije oca osnivača koji su izabrani u Odbor petorice omogućujući nam dublji uvid u njihovu psihu kao i njihove političke stavove i motivaciju. Sadrži sažetke života Thomasa Jeffersona, Johna Adamsa, Benjamina Franklina, Rogera Shermana i Roberta R. Livingstona. Sve ove informacije su analizirane kako bi se moglo prikazati kako su osobnosti petorice očeva osnivača utkane u samu Deklaraciju. Glavna svrha ovog rada je dokazati da pravni dokumenti nisu lišeni ljudskih emocija nego su produkt osobnosti svojih autora. Iako pojedini pravni filozofi tvrde da bi se zakoni trebali analizirati bez političkog, socijalnog, moralnog ili čak povijesnog konteksta ovaj rad namjerava opovrgnuti tu tvrdnju pokazujući da se pravni dokumenti moraju analizirati uzimanjem spomenutog u obzir. Svaki bitniji pravni dokument je napravljen sa određenim ciljem i pod utjecajem je ne samo svojih autora nego i okolnostima koje su bile prisutne u vremenu do stvaranja dokumenta. Ignorirati društvene potrebe koje su rezultirale donošenjem dotičnog dokumenta bi impliciralo ne samo da je zakon potpuno odvojen entitet od društva nego i da je zakon samom sebi svrha što bi bila teška greška. Pravni predak postoji da služi potrebama društva i mora im se prilagođavati a ne biti svrha samom sebi.

Ključne riječi: Oci osnivači, Deklaracija neovisnosti, biografija, Odbor petorice.

• Keywords: Founding Fathers; Declaration of Independence; biography; Committee of Five.
• Keywords (english): Oci osnivači; Deklaracija neovisnosti; biografija; Odbor petorice.
• Language: croatian
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:199:107933
• Study programme: Title: Law; Study programme type: university; Study level: integrated undergraduate and graduate; Academic / professional title: sveučilišni magistar/magistrica prava (sveučilišni magistar/magistrica prava)
• Type of resource: Text
• File origin: Born digital
• Access conditions: Open access
• Created on: 2024-04-15 08:15:33