Why read The Illimitable Freedom of the Human Mind?

Book cover of The Illimitable Freedom of the Human Mind: Thomas Jefferson's Idea of a University

Book description

Already renowned as a statesman, Thomas Jefferson in his retirement from government turned his attention to the founding of an institution of higher learning. Never merely a patron, the former president oversaw every aspect of the creation of what would become the University of Virginia. Along with the Declaration of…

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American history

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Why read it?

1 author picked The Illimitable Freedom of the Human Mind as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

John A. Ragosta

Author

As a double UVA grad, I knew that Jefferson was the founder and that the school had been built largely by enslaved laborers. This book uplifted and depressed me: I was uplifted by the ferocity with which Jefferson pursued the importance of a secular university (owned by the state and without religious affiliation) and the revolutionary flexibility of its curriculum.

I was depressed by how much of the structure and the University’s early life were completely intertwined with slavery. Some of the stories are shocking.

From John's list on recent history about USA and problems.