American Virtues by Jean M Yarbrough

American Virtues by Jean M Yarbrough

Since the early days of the republic, Americans have recognized Thomas Jefferson's distinctive role in helping to shape the American national character. As Founder and statesman, Jefferson thought broadly about the virtues Americans would need to cultivate in order to preserve and perfect their experiment in republican self-government. Now in an age preoccupied with rights and divided over questions of character in public and private life, Jefferson can help us to think more clearly about our most urgent concerns.

American Virtues is the first comprehensive analysis of Jefferson's moral and political philosophy in over twenty years and the first ever to focus exclusively on the full range of moral, civic, and intellectual virtues that together form the American character. It asks what kind of character Americans as a people must cultivate to ensure their freedom and happiness and how we as a free society can nurture moral and intellectual excellence in our citizens and statesmen.

Beginning with the Declaration of Independence, Jean Yarbrough explores how Jefferson's conception of rights helps to form the American character. In subsequent chapters, she examines the moral sense virtues of justice and benevolence; the "agrarian" virtues of industry, moderation, patience, self-reliance, and independence; patriotism and modern republicanism; slavery and agrarian vice; the effect of commerce on character; the virtues connected with private property; the civic virtues of vigilance and spirited participation; the meaning of virtue and happiness for women; the virtues of republican statesmen; the place of the Epicurean virtues of wisdom and friendship in liberal republicanism; and piety and the secularized virtues of charity, toleration, and hope.

In broadening the examination of virtue to include not only civic or republican virtue but the whole range of moral and intellectual excellence that perfect the individual character, American Virtues moves beyond the liberal-republican debates and makes a fresh contribution to the Jeffersonian literature.

An elegantly written, cogently argued interpretation that should generate many valuable discussions not only about Jefferson's thought but, more important, about the kinds of virtues and values required of a people who mean to govern themselves- Journal of American History The best exposition we have of Jefferson's thought. - American Political Science Review

Jean M. Yarbrough is Gary M. Pendy Professor of Social Sciences and Chair of the Government Department at Bowdoin College.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780700616787
ISBN 10	0700616780
Title	American Virtues
Author	Jean M Yarbrough
Series	American Political Thought
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	University Press of Kansas
Year published	1998-09-30
Number of pages	256
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.