No one embraces the ideology of the Enlightenment more vehemently than Thomas Jefferson. How would this champion of the Enlightenment compare to the Postmodernism of our age? The two philosophical viewpoints seem diametrically opposed – a collision waiting to happen. Would our postmodern society shun or welcome a disciplined gentleman like him? We must certainly take into account that there is a huge difference between the culture of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries and that of the twenty-first century. Whether this is good or bad is a matter of opinion, and Jefferson would certainly have an opinion. His passions were varied and encompassed a myriad of topics ranging from horticulture to the exhumation of a mammoth fossil. His home in Virginia was a virtual museum displaying Indian artifacts, European art, and a utilitarian display of inventions designed by Jefferson himself. No one could deny the extent of his genius. The pursuit of knowledge and the search for truth were as elemental to him as breathing. First, we need to briefly define the terms Enlightenment and Postmodernism. The German thinker Immanuel Kant wrote that the motto of the Enlightenment could be “Dare to use your reason” (Lauzon, 2005). Reason had pre-eminence. The Age of Reason contributed most noticeably to the drafting of the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson's authorship of this document was based on reason and truth. He believed that the reasoning mind could ascertain the truth. Reason and science were the hallmarks and bulwark of the Enlightenment. In contrast, the truth for the postmodernist is what works for each individual. Thomas Jefferson wouldn't be able to wrap his head...... middle of paper ......g/president/jefferson/essays/biography/2.ReferencesBeran, M.K. (2003). Jefferson's Demons: Portrait of a Restless Mind. New York. Free press.Boykin, E. (1943). The wisdom of Thomas Jefferson. New York: Garden City Publishing Co., Inc. Ellis, J. J. (1998). American Spinx. New York: Vintage Books.Hartman, P. V. (1996). What is “postmodernism”? Hartman's website. Retrieved from http://www.naciente.com/essay15.htm.Klages, M. (2007). “Literary Theory: A Guide for the Perplexed.” Retrieved from http://www.colorado.edu/English/courses/ENGL2012Klages.Koch, A. (1971). Jefferson. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, Inc. Lauzon, M. (2005). “The Enlightenment”. Historical Reference Center.Onuf, P. (2010). Miller Center for Public Affairs, University of Virginia. Retrieved from http://millercenter.org/president/jefferson/essays/biography/2.