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Philosophical Vignettes in Jefferson's Notes on Virginia
- Philosophy and Literature
- Johns Hopkins University Press
- Volume 37, Number 1, April 2013
- pp. 136-163
- 10.1353/phl.2013.0010
- Article
- Additional Information
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This paper is an examination of several of Thomas Jefferson's philosophical vignettes in his Notes on the State of Virginia. I begin with some thoughts on the structure of the book. I then turn to several of Jefferson's intriguing philosophical vignettes, concerning the aesthetic, natural explanation, Indians, blacks, education, religion, husbandry, and war. I end with some thoughts on what those vignettes tell us about Jefferson's philosophical frame of mind at the writing of his Notes.