This critique deconstructs the opening sentence of the Declaration of Independence, arguing that its famous claims are rhetorical tools rather than logical truths. The author contends that the term "self-evident" functions as a labour-saving device designed to bypass critical inquiry and enforce political silence. By examining the text clause by clause, the source suggests that the document’s universal language intentionally masked strict social exclusions based on literacy and status. Ultimately, the analysis presents the Declaration as a prototype of political engineering where rights are not inherent, but are administratively granted or revoked based on who is granted the status of personhood. The author concludes that the sentence's conceptual vagueness is a functional necessity that allows it to maintain moral authority while remaining operationally evasive.👉 https://philosophics.blog/2025/12/27/we-hold-these-truths-an-annotated-failure/