Thomas Jefferson's Ethics and the Politics of Human Progress: The Morality of a Slaveholder
Could Jefferson claim any consistency in his advocacy of democracy and the rights of man while remaining one of the largest slaveholders in Virginia? This extensive study of Jefferson's intellectual outlook suggests that, once we fully acknowledge the premises of his ethical thought and his now outdated scientific views, he could. Jefferson famously thought the human mind to be 'susceptible of much improvement ... most of all, in matters of government and religion'. Ari Helo's thorough analysis of Jefferson's understanding of Christian morality, atheism, contemporary theories of moral sentiments, ancient virtue ethics, natural rights, and the principles of justice and benevolence suggests that Jefferson refused to be a philosopher, and did so for moral reasons. This book finds Jefferson profoundly political in his understanding of individual moral responsibility and human progress.
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Contents
Jefferson the Politician
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7 |
History Progress and Politics
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16 |
Progress in Natural and Moral Sciences
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46 |
Progress and the Wise Mans Virtue
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78 |
The Perfectible Rights of Men
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109 |
Progressive Politics
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139 |
Notes
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181 |
261 | |
275 | |
Other editions - View all
Thomas Jefferson's Ethics and the Politics of Human Progress: The Morality ... Ari Helo Limited preview - 2014 |
Thomas Jefferson's Ethics and the Politics of Human Progress: The Morality ... Ari Helo No preview available - 2015 |
Common terms and phrases
African Americans ancient appeared April April 28 argued August belief benevolence Cambridge civil claim concept constitutional contemporary Declaration of Independence democracy Destutt de Tracy draft duties Epicurean equal ethics example famous federal Federalist Ford French Treaties genuinely Haakonssen happiness Hutcheson ibid idea individual individual’s intellectual issue James Madison January Jared Sparks Jefferson never Jefferson thought Jefferson’s moral Jefferson’s political Jefferson’s view Jeffersonian John Adams June justice law of nature letter Locke Locke’s Lockean man’s Maria Cosway mind Moral Philosophy moral sense natural law natural rights Notes to Pages notion ofthe one’s Peter Carr principle prudence Query XIV Reid’s religion religious remained republican Revolution Sally Hemings Samuel Kercheval sentiments slave slaveholders slavery society Thomas Jefferson Thomas Law Thomas Reid tion TJ to James TJ to John TJ to Peter TJ to Samuel TJ to Thomas TJ to William University Press Virginia virtue William Short