“In his first post, the one that is wildly off topic, he brought up the very subject that got the other thread started. He calls Jefferson a “disgusting hypocrite who created the idea of the Empire of Liberty” while going on about “verstehen” as if he practices it at all when speaking like that. He’s, again I think, provocateuring me. But, i think, even Rothbard gave Jefferson his due credit without knocking him for owning slaves during a period where it was en vogue. The vast minority were abolitionists and Jefferson never said anything about starting aggressive wars as the empire of liberty. This reminds me of a bad history book I read called Global Cold War by some Norwegian academic. He tried to relate Reaganism to Jefferson “Empire of Liberty” it was miserably cited as well. The Soviet treatment was much more…careful about political rhetoric.”
Well I see your ego has not deflated. Yes, I am secretly taunting you. Verstehen is the act of placing yourself within the mindset of the time. Not engaging in presentism. Not applying modern day values in a time which they do not believe. Rothbard actually makes a good example in trying to describe this, it would be like being mad at Aristotle for not knowing Mises’ theories on money. However, there were feminist, abolitionists and whatever you would consider the equvilent of such people for Native Americans. They were values around the time of Jefferson. Jefferson did not believe in them. Well, like I said before, he did not roll over Indian tribes like Jackson but as he stated in his own words, and you confirmed, he was not against using violence against them. Anyways, if we continue that then we should just take it back to that topic post.
Where was I? Oh yes, I’m provoking you..with every post I make to…other people… about my views on Jefferson. You have caught me sir!