- Dec 2017
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engagements2017-18.as.virginia.edu engagements2017-18.as.virginia.edu
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Latin V Physics or Natural Philosophy Greek Chemistry Hebrew
I meant only to highlight the languages, as I was fascinated by the number of them being taught. It is impressive how, at those times, there were fluent speakers in both the language being taught and English, willing to work at a new University, founded just after the American Revolution. Although America was the New Land, were most unemployed Europeans wished to go, due to the scarce labor and high wages, the costs of transportation were huge at that time. Indeed, it amused me how the University managed to get language teachers, I suppose foreign, that were scholarly respected.
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and tho rather, as the proofs of the being of a god, the creator, preserver, & supreme ruler of the universe, the author of all the relations of morality, & of the laws & obligations these infer, will be within the province of the professor of ethics;
This paragraph is kind of contradictory, as it first advocates for the equality of religious thought, but then describes God as the supreme ruler of the universe, "author of all the relations of morality". There was no space for the possibility that God did not exist, which is today a realm of religious manifestation. Perhaps before this was not a contradiction, as the existence of God was almost universally acknowledged. Now, however, both theism and atheism are scholarly accepted and respected. Furthermore, it is fascinating how, despite the rejection of atheism, the university strived to teach a large spectrum of religions; Thomas Jefferson was not satisfied with UVA teaching only the classical religions.
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- Oct 2017
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engagements2017-18.as.virginia.edu engagements2017-18.as.virginia.edu
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To instruct the mass of our citizens in these their rights, interests and duties, as men and citizens, being then the objects of education in the primary schools, whether private or public, in them should be taught reading, writing & numerical arithmetic, the elements of mensuration (useful in so many callings) and the outlines of geography and history, and this brings us to the point at which are to commence the higher branches of education, of which the legislature require the development: those for example which are to form the statesmen, legislators & judges, on whom public prosperity, & individual happiness are so much to depend.
I think this paragraph is significant to the understanding of the document as a whole. At first, it says "to instruct the mass of our citizens", focusing on the importance of building a society. Then, at the end, it says "and the individual happiness", directly referring to the development of the individual. This equilibrium between the individual and the society, and the importance of building both at the same time, complementing each other, is perhaps one of the university's primary objectives.
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after declaring by law that certain sciences shall be taught in the university
It is interesting the regard to which the university upheld the sciences, in a time were religious thought predominated, and religion and science have long been thought as incompatible.It appears to me as if the university did not have this idea. Rather, there was space for both religion and science.
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