In 300 , compose or describe an inventive dialogue between three individuals:
- John Locke
- Thomas Jefferson
- A slave on Thomas Jefferson’s estate
These three individuals should specifically discuss Locke’s idea of “life, liberty, and property” and Jefferson’s rephrasing of this principle as “life, liberty, and happiness.” Consider what the men believed these concepts to mean. What would the slave have to say about it?
As you construct your dialogue, you should actively explore the areas of conflict between the individuals as well as the possible areas of agreement. In addition, you are encouraged to imaginatively consider the setting, how the characters talk, how they move, what they might be wearing, and other qualities that will make the dialogue interesting. (Ignore the inconvenient fact that Locke died before Jefferson was even born!)
You will be evaluated on how accurately you portray the ideas of John Locke and Thomas Jefferson, as presented in the textbook. Beyond this, you should identify contradictions between the founding philosophies of America as they exist “on paper” and how they work “in reality.”
write it as if you were a witness to the dialogue, in which case you would be summarizing what they said rather than writing it word-for-word.