On Thomas Jefferson's Democratic Theory

Thomas Jefferson is a great democrat and statesman in American history. He is the greatest founder of American democracy in thought, system and practice. And he produces important and profound influences on later generations. The core value of his thought is his democratic theory.Thomas Jefferson uses natural rights theory to justify the people's right of self-government. He thinks that natural law endows people with the right to life, liberty and to pursuit of happiness. Everybody was born with these natural rights, and these natural rights are inalienable, he says. The purpose of government is also for the protection of people's natural rights. The people also have inherent moral instinct and reason, and they can discriminate clearly the good and the evil, and tell right from wrong. Therefore they have the ability to govern themselves.Thomas Jefferson believes that government is based upon the people's consent, and the people must be able to elect and control government officials. Therefore, he advocates the following measures: 1, majority rule and general election system 2, separation of powers and check and balance for preventing the corruption of government power. 3, civil government controls army for preventing the emergence of military dictatorship. 4, endowing people with the right of revolution, and appreciating the spirit of people's resistance to the abuse of power. 5, proposing a popular education, and preparing the people for self-government.At the same time Thomas Jefferson takes the people's liberty as essential conditions for democracy. Therefore, he advocates the following measures: 1, freedom of thinking, speech, press; 2, freedom of religion; 3, abolishing slavery, liberating black slaves and safeguarding racial equality; 4, establishing an agricultural society, so people's personal and economic independence can be secured.Thomas Jefferson, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln are called the three American giants, but Jefferson has surmounted the other two in a lot of aspects. He made the greatest contribution to American democracy, and produced the most profound influences on American history. For Lincoln and Franklin D. Roosevelt, and for the present American people, Jefferson's democratic theory gives them the soul and the faith of democracy. And for us, Jefferson' democratic ideas could also be a theoretical and spiritual inspiration.