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About this quote

What does it mean?
Jefferson states that a person's talents do not determine their rights.
In plain terms
Your rights do not depend on how talented you are.
What can you take from it?
Rights are universal, not based on ability.

Where it applies

  • civil rights debates
  • social equality
  • legal policy

Putting it to work

  • defending equal rights
  • opposing merit-based privilege
  • advocating universal human rights

Questions to consider

  • Do rights depend on ability?
  • How do we balance talent and equality?

Another view

It does not address how to reconcile rights with unequal abilities.

More from Thomas Jefferson

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  3. All eyes are opened, or opening, to the rights of man. The general spread of the light of science has already laid open to every view the palpable truth, that …

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