Thomas Jefferson Essay by JPWrite

This paper explains that Thomas Jefferson embodied the enlightenment thinkers who believed in a wide variety of philosophies rather than the strict dogma and theology of a particular belief system, whether it is beliefs in politics, social structure, religious thought or scientific questioning. The author points out that the ideas, which Jefferson incorporated into the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights, are highlights of enlightenment thinking. The paper stresses that it is important to realize that the dichotomy, which appears to exist between Jefferson's personal actions and those written into these treasured documents, pertains to intent and the laws of nature versus those of society: "Created equal" infers that all children are born equal as human beings but the inequalities, which do exist, are due to society's distinctions of race, sex and wealth.