The Enlightenment Gamble: Will we Bet on ‘Man’ in the 21st century?

What did the founding fathers mean by “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal?” What do they mean by “man” and why were the 18th century Enlightenment ideals so important for posterity particularly when it relates to staking a bet through faith or taking a risk through hope? What does humanity have to do with this? I synthesize and include briefly some ideas of prominent leaders from President Barack Obama, Georges Bernanos, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, and John Adams in order to outline the importance of working for others and not just for one’s own salvation. I specifically address why it has always been the marginalized who have not just led most social movements, but who have also provided an inherent meaning to different kinds of liberty in different eras of American and world history.