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During the semester, I shall post course material and students will comment on it. Students are also free to comment on any aspect of American politics, either current or historical. There are only two major limitations: no coarse language, and no derogatory comments about people at the Claremont Colleges. This blog is on the open Internet, so post nothing that you would not want a potential employer to see. Syllabus: http://gov20h.blogspot.com/2023/08/draft-introduction-to-american-politics.html

Wednesday, September 12, 2018

The Declaration and Democratic Writing II

Blogging:
"Few ideas are correct ones, and what are correct no one can ascertain; but with words we govern men." -- Benjamin Disraeli

PROLEPSIS

Allusions, quotations -- and fake quotations.

Jefferson's library

 The text of the Declaration

What makes Americans?



The real Abraham Lincoln on Euclid and the Declaration:
One would start with great confidence that he could convince any sane child that the simpler propositions of Euclid are true; but, nevertheless, he would fail, utterly, with one who should deny the definitions and axioms. The principles of Jefferson are the definitions and axioms of free society.
The movie version (look carefully for a now-famous actor playing one of the soldiers):

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