Thomas Jefferson et ses choix littéraires : de l’existentialisme au libéralisme
Few sources cover the first 30 years of Thomas Jefferson. His Literary Commonplace Book (LCB), compiled almost entirely from his adolescence to the dawn of his political career (1758-1773), possesses thus an invaluable heuristic value. The goal of this article is to grasp a vision of existence which...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Université Toulouse - Jean Jaurès
2022-10-01
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| Series: | Miranda: Revue Pluridisciplinaire du Monde Anglophone |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://journals.openedition.org/miranda/47739 |
| _version_ | 1828730235334426624 |
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| author | David Bergeron |
| author_facet | David Bergeron |
| author_sort | David Bergeron |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Few sources cover the first 30 years of Thomas Jefferson. His Literary Commonplace Book (LCB), compiled almost entirely from his adolescence to the dawn of his political career (1758-1773), possesses thus an invaluable heuristic value. The goal of this article is to grasp a vision of existence which could explain the foundations of his liberalism. We believe this possible because the LCB possesses a value and a meaning to the eyes of Jefferson which can be perceived early as much as late in his life. The themes of fatality and of finitude, but also, of the virtue of which man is capable, are all central. We believe that the extracts chosen by Jefferson, when put in parallel with his texts written in this period as with those written posteriorly, permit to apprehend in his thought a conception of an individual which, even if placed at the mercy of a fatality relative to which he remains powerless, keeps a potentiality for autonomy and virtue. We will subsequently recognize this optimism in his liberal writings. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T17:27:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-22bb8ad533b842ce82ffa0629af2c07c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2108-6559 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T17:27:55Z |
| publishDate | 2022-10-01 |
| publisher | Université Toulouse - Jean Jaurès |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Miranda: Revue Pluridisciplinaire du Monde Anglophone |
| spelling | doaj.art-22bb8ad533b842ce82ffa0629af2c07c2022-12-22T03:23:14ZengUniversité Toulouse - Jean JaurèsMiranda: Revue Pluridisciplinaire du Monde Anglophone2108-65592022-10-012610.4000/miranda.47739Thomas Jefferson et ses choix littéraires : de l’existentialisme au libéralismeDavid BergeronFew sources cover the first 30 years of Thomas Jefferson. His Literary Commonplace Book (LCB), compiled almost entirely from his adolescence to the dawn of his political career (1758-1773), possesses thus an invaluable heuristic value. The goal of this article is to grasp a vision of existence which could explain the foundations of his liberalism. We believe this possible because the LCB possesses a value and a meaning to the eyes of Jefferson which can be perceived early as much as late in his life. The themes of fatality and of finitude, but also, of the virtue of which man is capable, are all central. We believe that the extracts chosen by Jefferson, when put in parallel with his texts written in this period as with those written posteriorly, permit to apprehend in his thought a conception of an individual which, even if placed at the mercy of a fatality relative to which he remains powerless, keeps a potentiality for autonomy and virtue. We will subsequently recognize this optimism in his liberal writings. http://journals.openedition.org/miranda/47739existencefatalityfinitudedeathpowerlessnessautonomy |
| spellingShingle | David Bergeron Thomas Jefferson et ses choix littéraires : de l’existentialisme au libéralisme Miranda: Revue Pluridisciplinaire du Monde Anglophone existence fatality finitude death powerlessness autonomy |
| title | Thomas Jefferson et ses choix littéraires : de l’existentialisme au libéralisme |
| title_full | Thomas Jefferson et ses choix littéraires : de l’existentialisme au libéralisme |
| title_fullStr | Thomas Jefferson et ses choix littéraires : de l’existentialisme au libéralisme |
| title_full_unstemmed | Thomas Jefferson et ses choix littéraires : de l’existentialisme au libéralisme |
| title_short | Thomas Jefferson et ses choix littéraires : de l’existentialisme au libéralisme |
| title_sort | thomas jefferson et ses choix litteraires de l existentialisme au liberalisme |
| topic | existence fatality finitude death powerlessness autonomy |
| url | http://journals.openedition.org/miranda/47739 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT davidbergeron thomasjeffersonetseschoixlitterairesdelexistentialismeauliberalisme |