Should Thomas Jefferson Be Shunned?

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Recommended: The declaration of independence and the enlightenment

No one embraces the ideology of the Enlightenment more vociferously than Thomas Jefferson. How would this champion of the Enlightenment square with the Postmodernism of our present age? The two philosophical viewpoints seem diametrically opposed -- a collision waiting to happen. Would our postmodern society shun or receive such a disciplined gentleman as he?

Admittedly, we do have to take into account that there is a gross difference in the culture of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century and that of the twenty-first century. Whether that is good or bad is a matter of opinion, and Jefferson would certainly have an opinion. His passions were many, encompassing a myriad of subjects ranging from horticulture to the exhumation of a mammoth fossil. His Virginian home was a virtual museum showcasing Indian artifacts, European art, and an utilitarian display of inventions designed by Jefferson himself. No one could deny the breadth of his genius. A quest for knowledge and a quest for truth were as elemental as breathing to him.

Initially, we need to briefly define the terms Enlightenment and Postmodernism. The German thinker, Immanuel Kant, wrote that the motto of the Enlightenment might be “Have courage to use your own reason” (Lauzon, 2005). Reason held preeminence. The Age of Reason contributed most prominently in the writing of the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson’s authorship of this document was based on reason and truth. He believed the reasoning mind could ascertain truth. Reason and science were the hallmarks and the bulwark of the Enlightenment.

Conversely, truth to the postmodernist is whatever works for each individual. Thomas Jefferson wouldn’t be able to wrap his head...

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References

Beran, M. K. (2003). Jefferson’s demons: Portrait of a restless mind. New York. Free Press.

Boykin, E. (1943). The wisdom of Thomas Jefferson. New York: Garden City Publishing Co.,

Inc.

Ellis, J. J. (1998). American Spinx. New York: Vintage Books.

Hartman, P. V. (1996). What is “postmodernism”? The Hartman Web Site. Retrieved from

http://www.naciente.com/essay15.htm.

Klages, M. (2007). “Literary theory: A guide for the perplexed.” Retrieved from

http://www.colorado.edu/English/courses/ENGL2012Klages.

Koch, A. (1971). Jefferson. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, Inc.

Lauzon, M. (2005). “The Enlightenment.” History Reference Center.

Onuf, P. (2010). Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia. Retrieved from

http://millercenter.org/president/jefferson/essays/biography/2.

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