Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Introduction
- Chronology
- Biographical synopses
- A note on sources
- Bibliographical note
- I A Private Man in Public Life
- II Natural Law, Natural Right, and Revolution
- III Self-government
- IV Moral Sense, Civic Education, and Freedom of the Press
- V The Constitutions of Virginia and France
- VI The U.S. Constitution
- VII Religious Liberty and Toleration
- VIII Political Parties
- IX Race and Slavery
- X Native Americans
- XI Women (not) in Politics
- XII Law of Nations
- XIII Innovation and Progress
- XIV Relations between Generations
- Appendices
- Index
- Cambridge Texts in the History of Political Thought
IV - Moral Sense, Civic Education, and Freedom of the Press
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 June 2012
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Introduction
- Chronology
- Biographical synopses
- A note on sources
- Bibliographical note
- I A Private Man in Public Life
- II Natural Law, Natural Right, and Revolution
- III Self-government
- IV Moral Sense, Civic Education, and Freedom of the Press
- V The Constitutions of Virginia and France
- VI The U.S. Constitution
- VII Religious Liberty and Toleration
- VIII Political Parties
- IX Race and Slavery
- X Native Americans
- XI Women (not) in Politics
- XII Law of Nations
- XIII Innovation and Progress
- XIV Relations between Generations
- Appendices
- Index
- Cambridge Texts in the History of Political Thought
Summary
To Robert Skipwith
Monticello, August 3, 1771
I sat down with a design of executing your request to form a catalogue of books to the amount of about 50 lib. sterl. But could by no means satisfy myself with any partial choice I could make. Thinking therefore it might be as agreeable to you I have framed such a general collection as I think you would wish and might in time find convenient to procure. Out of this you will chuse for yourself to the amount you mentioned for the present year and may hereafter as shall be convenient proceed in completing the whole. A view of the second column in this catalogue would I suppose extort a smile from the face of gravity. Peace to its wisdom! Let me not awaken it. A little attention however to the nature of the human mind evinces that the entertainments of fiction are useful as well as pleasant. That they are pleasant when well written every person feels who reads. But wherein is its utility, asks the reverend sage, big with the notion that nothing can be useful but the learned lumber of Greek and Roman reading with which his head is stored?
I answer, everything is useful which contributes to fix in the principles and practices of virtue. When any original act of charity or of gratitude, for instance, is presented either to our sight or imagination, we are deeply impressed with its beauty and feel a strong desire in ourselves of doing charitable and grateful acts also.
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- Information
- Jefferson: Political Writings , pp. 231 - 319Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1999