Thomas Jefferson ─ The Classical World, and Early American

This collection of essays is an investigation into Thomas Jefferson's writings and his position on using classical philosophies and teachings of the ancient world as a model for modern policies. Jefferson's classical education included fluency in Latin and Greek, which he advocated for as a core of American education; however, his contradictory opinion was that the ancient world should not be used to address contemporary issues. In papers presented at a conference at the American Academy in Rome in October 2008, these scholars offer competing views that fail to reach a consensus as they discuss the importance of classical antiquity in the founding of America. Annotation c2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Peter S. Onuf is Thomas Jefferson Foundation Professor of History at the University of Virginia. Nicholas P. Cole is Junior Research Fellow in History at St. Peter’s College, University of Oxford.