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DA8. Thomas Jefferson

Statement

  1. First, which thinker from this unit you like best and why? Then, what was the most interesting interaction with the course you had this entire class (all units)?
  2. Tell the class something that you read or learned during PHIL 1402 and discuss a way in which it came up in a conversation or application of your life during our time together.

Answer

Which thinker from this unit you like best and why?

I like Thomas Jefferson the best from this unit. I like him because of his involvement in crafting the Declaration of Independence. I happen to share the same views as Jefferson on Plato’s Republic as I see the work as overestimated and not as holy as people think (Jefferson Hour, 2016).

Jefferson studied Enlightenment philosophy and worked as a lawyer and a politician; he believed in deism and the separation between the church and the state; morality to him was given by God; His views on slavery were controversial as he owned slaves but believed in freedom and equality (Gearhart, 2021). Politically, he supported the Republic of America as opposed to Federalism.

What was the most interesting interaction with the course you had this entire class (all units)?

Unit 3, the philosophy of religion, was the most interesting topic; I learned how religions evolved with simple comparisons between broad categories of religions. I learned about belief systems, the problem of evil, and humanism as a religion. The problem of evil was interesting as I was able to build an argument indicating God’s existence as he is omnipotent, omniscient, and all good.

Tell the class something that you read or learned during PHIL 1402 and discuss a way in which it came up in a conversation or application of your life during our time together.

Unit 1, introduction to Philosophy, was the most useful to me; I learned about words that are often used in our daily lives but usually used incorrectly. I learned about words such as idealism, materialism, utilitarianism, positivism, realism, and pragmatism. I had the chance to look closely into the views of Plato, Aristotle, and Socrates; the three great philosophers that we learned about when were kids. I also met great philosophers for the first time such as Thomas Hobbes, Thomas Jefferson, Charles Simic, Immanuel Kant, and Voltaire.

References

  • Gearhart, B. (2021). Thomas Jefferson as Philosopher: Morality, Slavery, Political Philosophy [YouTube Video]. In YouTube. video ID = 7GhmA27-99I
  • Jefferson Hour. (2016, May 15). #1181 Too Much Freedom? Listening to America with Clay Jenkinson; Listening to America with Clay Jenkinson. https://jeffersonhour.bandcamp.com/track/1181-too-much-freedom

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