The Elusive Thomas Jefferson

The Elusive Thomas Jefferson Synopsis

Jefferson’s writings on morality and the moral sense have typically been ignored by scholars. Why? His thoughts, never fleshed out fully in any formal work, are said to be unsystematic, inchoate, or confused. Evidence of that is his change of mind from a mostly Stoic moralist (where intentionality is critical) to an Epicurean/Utilitarian (where consequences are critical) later in life. Jefferson was not confused and his moral thinking was systemic and consistent, not fluctuant. Though he never made the moral sense the topic of a formal, published treatise, his writings and the moral works he read and recommended allow for more than a general sketch of what the moral sense is and how it functions. In addition, they allow us to say much on his views of good living. Thus, Jefferson was fundamentally a moralist, not a politician. He had large regard for morality and for personal moral improvement, and utmost respect for moral exemplars. And so, morality for Jefferson was something to be integrated into everyday life, not something to be read to pass the time, and Jefferson drew moral inspiration from moralists, sermonizers, novelists, poets, historians, and even role models such as Professor William Small and his friend in law, George Wythe.

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