Thomas Jefferson Papers

Thomas Jefferson: Notes on The Elements of Ideology, ca. 5 Nov. 1823?, 5 November 1823

1st section of the
A supplement to the elements of Ideology on our means of obtaining knolege
A Syllabus or Analytical view of the ensuing work.
IId Section of the elements of Ideology, or a Treatise on the Will & it’s effects.
 Introduction
Chap.  1.  on society and it’s economy
 2. on Production or the formation of our riches.
 3. on the measure of usefulness, that is, it’s value or price
 4. on change of form or fabrication, comprehending agriculture.
 5. on change of place, or commercial industry.
 6. on Money
 7. Reflections on what precedes
 8. on the Distribution of riches among individuals.
 9. on the multiplication of individuals, or Population.
10. Consequences & developement of the two preceding chapters
11. on the employment of our riches, or Consumption.
12. on the revenues & expences of governments & of their debts.
13. Conclusion
chap. 2. man creates nothing.  he only changes the form of a thing into one more useful, or
transports it to another place where more wanting.
whatever labor produces utility is productive
the only steril class are the idle
a farm is a manufacting, a field an implement, or a raw material.
chap.  6. explains  the effect of increasing the nominal value of coin—of paper money.
the offices of a banker—the effect of banking companies.
 9. the limits of populn are the means of subsistence. populn can be increased only by an increase of means
to attempt to increase them by any other means, as by forcing marriages, is barbarous destruction
11. Capitalists are either the Idle, who live on their income
  or the Industrious who employ their capital in useful labor which augments the genl wealth
  Luxury is a substitution of useless instead of productive expence
12. the Government is a great consumer, subsisting on it’s income
 the effect of taxes on the Idle class, and on the Industrious.
 the effects of the different modes of taxation.
 the expences of govmt are necessary, but unproductive, & therefore shd be as small as possible
 the mischief of public debts.—effects of public credit.
 
 whether according to the law of nations one generation can bind another?

DLC: Papers of Thomas Jefferson.

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