What Did "All Men Are Created Equal" Originally Mean? | Bill Moyers' Journal | THIRTEEN

From the true meaning of the "pursuit of happiness" to the philosophies that guided Thomas Jefferson. Historian Garry Wills and journalist Bill Moyers sit within Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello home in Charlottesville, Virginia to discuss the radical and flawed ideas that shaped early America. They dig into the "lost world" of Jefferson's studies as a young man — and the Scottish Enlightenment's influence on the founding father. Wills explains how Scottish philosophers shaped Jefferson's belief in an innate "moral sense"—a universal understanding of right and wrong—that pushed back against John Locke’s individualism and put human kindness at the center of politics and society. Moyers and Wills confront the stark contradiction of Jefferson's life: how a man who believed in this shared moral sense could personally enslave hundreds of people. This 1979 episode titled “Inventing America: A Conversation with Garry Wills” was broadcast on “Bill Moyers' Journal," a weekly current affairs program covering economics, history, literature, religion, philosophy, science, and politics. Subscribe to a THIRTEEN newsletter to stay informed: https://www.thirteen.org/email-prefer... #ThomasJefferson #AmericanHistory #BillMoyers #GarryWills #Monticello #Philosophy #DeclarationOfIndependence #America250 #THIRTEEN #WNET #BillMoyersJournal Please SUBSCRIBE if you enjoyed:    / @thirteenwnet   For full episodes, check out http://thirteen.org/ Facebook:   / thirteenwnet   Instagram:   / thirteenwnet   TikTok:   / thirteenwnet   ----------------- THIRTEEN is one of America’s most respected and innovative public media providers. Part of The WNET Group, THIRTEEN is a unique cultural and educational institution that harnesses the power of television and electronic media to inform, enlighten, entertain and inspire. The flagship public television station of the New York City tri-state area and the most-watched public television channel in the nation, THIRTEEN reaches millions of people with programming that celebrates arts and culture, offers insightful commentary on the news of the day, explores the worlds of science and nature, and invites people of all ages to have fun while learning.