The Jeffersonian Era (chapter 2)

1
The Jeffersonian Era (chapter 2)

• Political Economy
• Ideology
• Schooling

2
Political economy in the 13 colonies
Pilgrims (tribal societies)
Merchants (diversity individualism)
Plantation owners (caste system slavery)
3
The end of Feudalism in Europe

• Feudalism A military, political, and religious
  system which developed in Europe during the
  centuries after the collapse of the Roman Empire
• The end of feudalism in Europe
• 12th and 14th century renaissances (ideas from
  the Byzantine and Arab worlds stimulated European
  thinkers)
• Galileo, Copernicus, Kepler, and Newton
• International commerce, emergence of the middle
  class (bourgeoisie)
• Introduction of explosive powder from China
• Rebellions in England and France
• The development of the ideology of liberalism

4
Classical Liberal Ideology Fundamental Tenets

• Faith in Reason
• Natural Law
• Republican Virtue
• Progress
• Nationalism
• Freedom

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Fundamental Dimensions of Classical Liberalism
From Feudal Ideology To Classical Liberal Id.
State control of ? economy Capitalism
State religion ? Separation of church and state
Divine right of king ? Republican (representative) government
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Faith in Reason

• A better guide than tradition, custom, and
  dogmatic faith
• Mind as blank slate
• Humankind capable of great feats
• Galileo, Copernicus, Newton

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Natural Law

• Universe is a machine
• Understanding yields control
• Science replaces theology as guide to action

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Republican Virtue

• Perfectibility of the individual
• Duties to God and to nature
• The work ethic
• Mens virtues/ Womens virtues

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Progress

• Continual individual and societal progress toward
  perfection
• Changing the world to what ought to be
• Revolution as an option
• Commitment to social meliorism (society has an
  innate tendency toward improvement and this
  tendency may be furthered through conscious human
  effort)
• Education as the vehicle

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Nationalism

• Allegiance to a nation, not a state
• A new national identity
• Uneasy balance between national government and
  local self- determination

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Freedom

• Negative freedom
• Intellectual
• Free from external coercion of church and state
• Political
• Representative government
• Civic
• Freedom to live as one pleases
• Bill of Rights
• Economic
• Laissez-faire economy
• The Wealth of Nations

12
Natural Rights / Social Contract Theories

• Hobbes, 1588-1679 Locke, 1632-1704
• Locke describes humans as by Nature, all free,
  equal, and independent.
• To have natural rights means to act according to
  ones will and without external constraint, like
  in the state of Nature
• Social contract is a hypothetical situation in
  which rational human beings agree to limit some
  of their liberties and confer power to a
  sovereign government. They do so in order to
  protect the remaining of their liberties (civil
  rights).
• Natural rights are inherent, self-evident, and
  inalienable.

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Laissez Faire Utilitarianism

• Bentham, 1748-1832 J. S. Mill 1806-1873
• Bentham's criticism Natural rights are simple
  nonsense natural and imprescriptible rights,
  rhetorical nonsense, nonsense upon stilts.
• Mill Freedom is good (in a moral sense) because
  it produces happiness.
• A civil society is the best arrangement for the
  maximization of happiness
• Law that limits freedom is a prima facie (i.e.,
  unless there is further evidence to the opposite)
  moral evil because inhibits happiness.

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Jeffersons Liberal Ideology

• His commitment to happiness (property as a means
  to happiness, not an end in itself)
• His notion of happiness (reason has to be the
  governing force of human appetite)
• The exclusion of women and Blacks
• Intellectual freedom (free press, the wall of
  separation between church and state, etc.)
• Truth is a property of the natural world (waiting
  to be discovered by human inquiry)
• His political ideal representative republic
  composed of educated, informed, and rational
  citizens
• His conception of government too weak to aid the
  wolves yet strong enough to protect the sheep

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Jeffersons Educational Philosophy

• See Jeffersons quotations about education,
  available at http//etext.virginia.edu/jefferson/q
  uotations/jeff1350.htm

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Jeffersons Plan for Popular Education
Elementary Schools
Grammar Schools
University
Self-Education
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First TierElementary Schools

• Foundation of entire education structure
• Decentralized districts
• Three years of free education
• Screening for future leaders
• Preparing citizens for effective functioning

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Second TierGrammar Schools

• Boarding schools
• Languages, advanced curriculum
• Developing local leadership
• Preparation for university

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Third TierUniversity Education

• Common education from grammar schools allowed for
  advanced instruction
• Specialization in a science
• Preparation for leadershiplaw, government, the
  professions
• Education for meritocracy

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Fourth TierSelf-Education

• Lifelong learning as the culmination of
  educational aims
• Jeffersons support of public libraries
• Knowledge is power knowledge is safety
  knowledge is happiness

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Concluding Remarks

• Political economy and ideology influenced early
  education processes, inside and outside of
  schools
• Jeffersons thinking reveals the tensions in
  classical liberalism