The Half-way Pacifist: Thomas Jefferson's View of War

Author:   Reginald C. Stuart
Publisher:   University of Toronto Press
ISBN:  

9781487573416


Pages:   104
Publication Date:   15 December 1978
Format:   Paperback
Availability:   To order   Availability explained
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The Half-way Pacifist: Thomas Jefferson's View of War


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Overview

By the middle of the eighteenth century war had come to be regarded as a limited instument of state policy and one that should be controlled in the interests of social justice and human progress. Thomas Jefferson's attitude towards war emerged from this Enlightenment tradition and evolved in response to the issues he faced during his career. Drawing on comments scattered through his letters and other writings and an interpretation of the policies he actually pursued, this book traces the development of Jefferson's view of war, from the time of his participation in the Continental Congress, through his years as negotiator and diplomat in Paris following the peace with Britain and independence, his terms as secretary of state, vice-president, and president during an era of European war and near war that threatened United States interests, and his years of retirement when the United States engaged in war and promulgated the Monroe Doctrine. While Jefferson displayed an overwhelming desire to avoid war, he did not suppose that it could be eliminated. He considered it a part of nature, occasionally both just and necessary. He emphasized defence and deterrance, but he did not hesitate to use or threaten war to preserve national integrity and promote national interests during his presidency. Politically and philosophically, he was a pragmatist rather than a pacifist, ready to engage in limited war for limited objectives and as a last resort, but opposed to war as a crusade. Throughout, Stuart's analysis of Jefferson's thinking on matters military shows a sensitive awareness of the tensions in western thought which arose in the transition from the ideas of the Enlightenment to those of the modern era.

Full Product Details

Author:   Reginald C. Stuart
Publisher:   University of Toronto Press
Imprint:   University of Toronto Press
Dimensions:   Width: 15.60cm , Height: 0.60cm , Length: 23.40cm
Weight:   0.001kg
ISBN:  

9781487573416


ISBN 10:   1487573413
Pages:   104
Publication Date:   15 December 1978
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Tertiary & Higher Education ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   To order   Availability explained
Stock availability from the supplier is unknown. We will order it for you and ship this item to you once it is received by us.

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REGINALD C. STUART is a member of the Department of History at the University of Prince Edward Island.

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