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2/2/12

teach them how to work out their own great happiness

From Thomas Jefferson's Notes on Virgina concerning public education.
"Instead, therefore, of putting the Bible and Testament into the hands of the children at an age when their judgements are not sufficiently matured for religious inquires, their memories may here be stored with the most useful facts from Grecian, Roman, European and American history. The first elements of morality too may be installed into their minds; such as when further developed as their judgements advance in strength, may teach them how to work out their own great happiness, by showing them that it does not depend on the condition of life in which chance has placed them, but is always the result of a good conscience, good health, occupation, and freedom in just pursuits..."
I am still figuring out in what ways I agree or view Jefferson's views but these statements really got to me. I have to read this for my intro to education class and along with procrastinating the paper I need to write, these statements make me want to just dive into his brain for a while and figure out where his thoughts came from and how he wrote with such an eloquence to make people join his side and change the course of education.

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