Thomas Jefferson Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Thomas Jefferson - Essay Example In 1698, much before the birth of Jefferson, Locke wrote in the second chapter of his famous Second Treatise on Government: â€Å"All men by nature are equal†¦in that equal right that every man hath to his natural freedom, without being subjected to the will or authority of any other man; †¦ being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty or possessions†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Jefferson understood these natural rights to be the most significant for the preservation of human dignity and happiness. He said: â€Å"Perhaps it will be found that to obtain a just republic (and it is to secure our just rights that we resort to government at all) it must be so extensive as that local egoisms may never reach its greater part; that on every particular question, a majority may be found in its councils free from particular interests, and giving, therefore, an uniform prevalence to the principles of justice†. For him the ideal political system for America was one which respected and upheld these rights, the rights which were a man’s by birth, which could not be created by a government but could of course be violated by it. To this end, Jefferson’s contribution to the constitution were the first ten amendments which together constitute the â€Å"The Bill of Rights†. These were put in place to ensure that the American government could never supersede the natural, God-given rights of the American citizen. Jefferson’s vision for America saw a nation where the people were the first priority, not the institutions and organizations. He never wanted institutions to have the power to manipulate people, and saw governments, organized religions and commercial monopolies as threats to the people. He opposed the formation of banks, commercial monopolies and a standing military. To Jefferson, the agrestic ideal of a farming community seemed ideal, where the the people were not dependent on

Biography Mary Wollstonecraft 1759-1797 Research Paper

Biography Mary Wollstonecraft 1759-1797 - Research Paper Example Together with Arden, they attended classes by Arden’s father and studied absorbing books (Taylor, 2003). Work In 1783, she helped her sister Eliza escape from an abusive marriage. Together they established a school at Newington Green where she acted as a schoolteacher and a headmistress. It was at this time that she began her literary work and wrote the book â€Å"Thought on Education of Daughters: With reflection on Female Conduct, In the More important Duties of Life†. In 1787, she was appointed the governess of the Kingsborough household. She was dismissed, since she had discrepancies with the Lady of Kingsborough, but the children liked her. This experience inspired her to write the book Original Stories from Real life. After her dismissal she moved to London to focus more on her career as an author. She was unhappy with the limited employment opportunities that were there for poor yet dignified women. In London, she learnt German and French, which helped her in tra nslating texts. She also wrote book reviews in the periodical Analytical Reviews. These experiences opened a wide field of intellectual material to her. It gave her a chance to interact with great philosophers, such as William Godwin, and political radicals, such as Thomas Paine (Taylor, 2003). Private life When in London, Mary had a relationship with an artist Henry Fusseli, who was by then married. She proposed a nonsexual relationship with Henry and his wife, but his wife was dismayed by that idea. Henry had to break off relations with Wollstonecraft. After this incidence, she traveled to French to experience the atmosphere of the French revolution personally. Here, she fell in love with Gilbert Imlay; this romantic relationship culminated in her getting pregnant with her first child. Gilbert was not bent on settling down in marriage, left Wollstonecraft in France and went to London. Mary’s work at this time reflected her loneliness and depression of a woman caught up by a revolution, both external and internal. She followed Gilbert to London but he rejected her. She made an attempted suicide, but Gilbert rescued her. She attempted to save her relationship with Gilbert by going on a dangerous trip to win a business deal for him; unfortunately, he never took her back. She made a second suicidal attempt by jumping into the fast running river Thames but was rescued by a stranger. According to her, the attempts to commit suicide were very rational. She later got into a romantic relationship with Godwin and got expectant. She married him so that the baby would not be illegitimate. The couple moved to two separate adjoining houses in order to retain their independence and communicated through letters. Godwin wrote memoirs that vividly portrayed the negative side of Mary's character, including her attempted suicides, illegitimate children and shaky private life. Though he was writing this being in love with his wife, it actually represented Wollstonecraft i n an unfavorable light. Wollstonecraft's death In September 30 1797, Wollstonecraft delivered her second born. The placenta ruptured and became infected. Wollstonecraft was in agony for several days and finally died September 10 the same year (Taylor, 2003). Contribution to philosophy Her efforts were aimed towards fighting for the rights of women. In the Vindication of the Rights of