Jefferson And Socrates' Idea Of Democracy
Thomas Jefferson's idea of democracy was one in which people had the right to question the government. Just as Socrates' mission was that of questioning everything and everyone. Socrates educated many and created followers intent on continuing Socrates' work. In effect this is quite similar if not the same as Jefferson's ideas that the people have the right to alter or abolish a government if it violates them.
Socrates believed that "The unexamined life is not worth living.", similarly one of Jefferson's ideas was basically that the unexamined and unchecked government is not worth having. He said "...governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the ...
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of the Republican political party, and contributed greatly to America's two party system. Jefferson himself did not affiliate himself with a party. In a letter to Francis Hopkins, Jefferson wrote, "If I could go to heaven but with a party, I would not go there at all." (Peterson, 1984, 941). While he did grossly disagree with Hamilton and the federalists he did approach the world with and open mind.
Jefferson was always a proponent of rights of the people, and feared the threat of an ...
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