THOMAS JEFFERSON’IN AYDINLANMA DÜŞÜNCESİ VE CUMHURİYETÇİ SİYASETİ

Year 2025, Volume: 65 Issue: 1, 31 - 67, 25.06.2025

Mümin Köktaş

https://doi.org/10.33171/dtcfjournal.2025.65.1.2

Abstract

Bu makalenin amacı, Thomas Jefferson’ın (1743-1826) Aydınlanma düşüncesi ile cumhuriyetçi siyaset anlayışını incelemektir. Makalede Jefferson’ın düşüncelerini incelerken hem tarihsel hem de felsefi bir yaklaşım benimsenmiştir. Jefferson, Aydınlanma düşüncesinin Amerika’daki en güçlü temsilcilerinden biri olarak kabul edilir. Bu nedenle, Jefferson’ın Aydınlanma düşüncesi içerisindeki konumu, onu nasıl anladığı ve değerlendirdiği, Aydınlanma düşüncesini Amerika’da nasıl konumlandırdığı araştırılmaya çalışılmıştır. Bu kapsamda, Jefferson’ın din-devlet ilişkisini nasıl anladığı, bilimsel ilerlemeye olan yaklaşımı ve eğitim reformları Aydınlanma düşüncesi ile bağlantılı olarak analiz edilmiştir. Jefferson’ın eğitim konusundaki tasavvurları, halkın kendi kendini yönetme yetisinin güçlendirilmesi amacını taşımaktadır. Jefferson, dinin bireysel bir alan olduğunu savunmuş ve devletin herhangi bir yaklaşıma göre inşa edilmeden dini özgürlüğün sağlanması gerektiğini belirtmiştir. Ardından, Jefferson, halkın egemenliğini, kendi kendini yönetmenin insanın doğal hakkı olduğunu, yönetilenlerin rızasını ve katılımını cumhuriyetçilik anlayışının merkezine koyduğu için onun cumhuriyetçi siyaset anlayışı, bunun Aydınlanma düşüncesi ile nasıl bir etkileşimde bulunduğu analiz edilmeye çalışılmıştır. Jefferson’ın özgürlük, eşitlik ve doğal haklar kavramlarına dayanan siyasal ve felsefi düşüncesi, Aydınlanma hareketinin temel ilkelerinden etkilenmiştir ve onun bu yönünün Amerikan siyasi kültürüne yaptığı en önemli katkılardan biri olduğu değerlendirilmektedir. Bunları tamamlaması amacıyla, Jefferson’ın bazı pratik siyaset uygulamalarına ve başkanlık icraatlarına bakılmış, böylece Aydınlanma ve cumhuriyetçi düşüncesinin pratik sorunlarda ve uygulama alanlarında etkili olup olmadığı değerlendirilmiştir. Jefferson’ın özellikle kölelik konusundaki tutumunun, Aydınlanma ve cumhuriyetçilik ilkeleriyle çelişkisi gösterilmeye çalışılmıştır. Jefferson her ne kadar köleliğe karşı eleştirilerde bulunsa da köle sahibi olması ve köleliği devam ettiren politikaları, onun Aydınlanma değerleriyle uyumsuzluğunu ortaya koymaktadır. Özet olarak, makalede Jefferson’ın Aydınlanma ve cumhuriyet kavramların ve düşüncesi makalede değerlendirilmeye çalışılmıştır.

Keywords

Thomas Jefferson , Amerikan Aydınlanması , 18. yüzyıl , Cumhuriyetçilik

THOMAS JEFFERSON’S ENLIGHTENMENT THOUGHT AND REPUBLICAN POLITICS

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to examine Thomas Jefferson’s (1743-1826) Enlightenment thought and republican political understanding. A historical and philosophical approach is adopted to analyze Jefferson’s ideas. Jefferson is considered one of the most prominent representatives of Enlightenment thought in America. Therefore, this study seeks to explore Jefferson’s position within the Enlightenment, how he understood it, and how he positioned Enlightenment thought in America. In this context, Jefferson’s understanding of the relationship between religion and the state, his approach to scientific progress, and his educational reforms are analyzed in connection with Enlightenment thought. Jefferson’s vision regarding education aimed to strengthen the people’s ability to govern themselves. He argued that religion is a personal matter and emphasized that the state should ensure religious freedom without being built upon any specific religious approach. Furthermore, Jefferson’s republican political understanding, which centers on the sovereignty of the people, the natural right of self-governance, and the consent and participation of the governed, is analyzed in terms of its interaction with Enlightenment thought. Jefferson's political and philosophical thought, based on the concepts of liberty, equality and natural rights, was influenced by the basic principles of the Enlightenment movement and this aspect is considered one of his most important contributions to American political culture. To complement this analysis, the article also examines some of Jefferson’s practical political actions and presidential policies to assess whether Enlightenment and republican ideas were effective in addressing practical problems and their applications. The article attempts to show the contradiction between Jefferson’s attitude, especially on the issue of slavery, with the principles of the Enlightenment and republicanism. Although Jefferson criticized slavery, his slave ownership and policies that continued slavery revealed his inconsistency with the values of the Enlightenment. In summary, the article attempted to evaluate Jefferson’s views Enlightenment and republicanism.

Keywords

Thomas Jefferson , American Enlightenment , 18th century , Republicanism

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