what does we hold these truths to be selfevident mean

"We hold these truths to be self-evident" is a phrase from the United States Declaration of Independence. It means that the truths being referred to are so obviously true that they do not require proof or elaboration. The Declaration goes on to state that "all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness". These truths are considered to be unquestionable and beyond debate, since their truth is said to be obvious. The concept of "self-evident truths" was important to the authors of the Declaration, who believed that certain fundamental rights were so obvious that they did not need to be argued for or defended.