[eggie5]

Years later, still puzzling over Thomas Jefferson's passivity at Philadelphia, John Adams would claim that "during the whole time I sat with him in Congress, I never heard him utter three sentence together"

Jefferson, himself would one day advise a grandson, "when I hear another express an opinion which is not mine, I say to myself, he has a right to his opinion, as I to mine." And "Why should I question it. His error does me no injury, and shall I become a Don Quixote, to bring all men by force of argument to one opinion?... Be a listener only, keep within yourself, and endeavor to establish with yourself the habit of silence, especially in politics."

[pjerem]

> Why should I question it. His error does me no injury

Isn't that an incredibly dangerous behavior especially in political debates ? I mean, wrong political opinions do injure people. Maybe not the other people in the room but the people who elected them.

Do I miss something ?

[trynewideas]

> Do I miss something ?

Yes, the part of governmental politics that involves creating and enforcing policy. Jefferson would listen to people's arguments in legislature but infrequently debated them because his strength (in his own estimation, at least) was in writing responses, especially as policy proposals.

Someone speaking a disagreement does him no harm, even if what's being described would be harmful. But someone implementing something he viewed harmful in enforced policy is different, and he treated it very differently.

Governmental politics tends to emphasize, even glamorize, the former, but the latter is what actually affects people and Jefferson often focused his attention on it.

One could strongly suggest that Jefferson's preference for written arguments and policy over political debate and lobbying is why Hamilton had more effective Federalist influence over early policies of the United States, and manifests even more strongly in Jefferson's prescriptions for the republic — the Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights, wanting to rewrite the Constitution every 20 years, his opposition to slavery and promotion of universal free education, freedom both of and from religion in government, strongly held national liberties and local self-government — many of which were at the time, or have always been, ignored in practice.

[eggie5]

As Adams agreed, it was quite the perplexing philosophy. However, who won in the end? The firebrand Adams or stoic Jefferson???

[MisterBastahrd]

Thomas Jefferson was as privileged as they come. Of course he'd have that opinion. He was at the top of the pyramid. Opinions held by his fellow man would have no impact on him personally.