Since the early days of the republic, Americans have recognized
Thomas Jefferson's distinctive role in helping to shape the
American national character. As Founder and statesman, Jefferson
thought broadly about the virtues Americans would need to cultivate
in order to preserve and perfect their experiment in republican
self-government. Now in an age preoccupied with rights and divided
over questions of character in public and private life, Jefferson
can help us to think more clearly about our most urgent concerns.
American Virtues is the first comprehensive analysis of
Jefferson's moral and political philosophy in over twenty years and
the first ever to focus exclusively on the full range of moral,
civic, and intellectual virtues that together form the American
character. It asks what kind of character Americans as a people
must cultivate to ensure their freedom and happiness and how we as
a free society can nurture moral and intellectual excellence in our
citizens and statesmen.
Beginning with the Declaration of Independence, Jean Yarbrough
explores how Jefferson's conception of rights helps to form the
American character. In subsequent chapters, she examines the moral
sense virtues of justice and benevolence; the "agrarian" virtues of
industry, moderation, patience, self-reliance, and independence;
patriotism and modern republicanism; slavery and agrarian vice; the
effect of commerce on character; the virtues connected with private
property; the civic virtues of vigilance and spirited
participation; the meaning of virtue and happiness for women; the
virtues of republican statesmen; the place of the Epicurean virtues
of wisdom and friendship in liberal republicanism; and piety and
the secularized virtues of charity, toleration, and hope.
In broadening the examination of virtue to include not only
civic or republican virtue but the whole range of moral and
intellectual excellence that perfect the individual character,
American Virtues moves beyond the liberal-republican debates and
makes a fresh contribution to the Jeffersonian literature.
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