“The natural aristocracy I consider as the most precious gift of nature for the instruction, the trusts, and government of society… The artificial aristocracy is a mischievous ingredient in government, and provision should be made to prevent its ascendancy.” - — Thomas Jefferson in his 1813 letter to John Adams"...When Americans learn about the founding age of this country, they learn mostly about revolutionary opposition to monarchy, foreign rule, and unjust taxation...
That’s all well and good.
- They also learn, rightly, about the founding generation’s deep resentment of the hereditary aristocracies of Europe. In the words of the historian Gordon Wood, the founders saw American republicanism as “a vindication of frustrated talent at the expense of birth and blood. For too long, they felt merit had been denied.”
- But there is a second, often untold story. The founders were indeed opposed to the aristocracies of Europe, and to the total rejection of egalitarianism inherent to monarchy; but they did not discount the idea that certain people had greater talents than others, and that this was relevant for government. Quite the contrary. Jefferson called this the “natural aristocracy” — an elite based not on wealth or birth, but on virtue and talent...
No comments:
Post a Comment