Quotations by Aristotle and Thomas Jefferson

 Worksheet

“All men by nature desire knowledge.”—Aristotle (384–322 B.C.) 

1.  What do you think Aristotle meant in this statement?

2.  Do you agree with Aristotle? Explain your answer.

3.  What type of knowledge do you think he meant?

“Enlighten the people generally, and tyranny and oppressions of body and mind will vanish like evil spirits at the dawn of day.” —Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826) 

1.  When Thomas Jefferson used the term enlighten, what did he mean?

2.  Why do you think Jefferson includes the vanishing of “oppressions of body and mind” and not just the mind?

3.  Do you agree with Jefferson? Explain, using an example from the present day.