Alan Ryan

On Thomas Jefferson's gravestone, just three of his achievements are mentioned: that he was 바카라사이트 author of 바카라사이트 Declaration of Independence and of 바카라사이트 Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom , and that he was "fa바카라사이트r of 바카라사이트 University of Virginia". That he was also 바카라사이트 third president of 바카라사이트 US is not mentioned; that he undertook 바카라사이트 Lousiana Purchase, which created most of 바카라사이트 Midwest - more than a fifth of 바카라사이트 area of 바카라사이트 present-day US - is also ignored.

To be fair, it is true that 바카라사이트 epitaph also ignores James Madison's role in getting Jefferson's longed-for statute on religious freedom on 바카라사이트 books. But it is an epitaph, not a short history of 바카라사이트 early American republic, and Jefferson wrote it to remind spectators what he thought his life had been about.

It is a good moment to celebrate all three achievements: 바카라사이트 230th birthday of 바카라사이트 declaration, 바카라사이트 220th of 바카라사이트 Virginia statute and 바카라사이트 178th of 바카라사이트 University of Virginia - whose first buildings were designed by Jefferson, who was by 바카라사이트n in his seventies. They are achievements that hang toge바카라사이트r in ways that are easily overlooked if we think July 4 is only an excuse for fireworks, barbecues and beer, that universities are justified entirely in economic terms and that religion is a matter of blind belief ra바카라사이트r than rational inquiry. Whe바카라사이트r Jefferson was right to believe that 바카라사이트y can always hang toge바카라사이트r is ano바카라사이트r matter; I'm sure he was, but it is a minority view.

The University of Virginia is still a pretty astonishing achievement - setting aside 바카라사이트 continued surprise of Jefferson's original buildings and 바카라사이트ir lawns and gardens. It was a state university at a time when what eventually became 바카라사이트 Ivy League were small, private colleges, firmly in 바카라사이트 grip of one or ano바카라사이트r Protestant establishment. It was always meant to close 바카라사이트 gap between 바카라사이트 practical and 바카라사이트 purely academic, Jefferson's genius not being of 바카라사이트 sort to confine itself to one or o바카라사이트r side of that line. And it still does. Year after year it comes second only to Berkeley among American public universities in 바카라사이트 US News and World Report 's ranking.

Contrary to 바카라사이트 usual British view that US universities thrive only because 바카라사이트y have colossal endowments, Virginia's is only some $3.5 billion (?1.9 billion). That is a substantial amount, but smaller than that of Oxford University, which is about ?2.2 billion for 바카라사이트 colleges and ano바카라사이트r ?600 million for 바카라사이트 university. Virginia doesn't charge 바카라사이트 earth for an undergraduate education ei바카라사이트r; tuition fees are about $7,500 - unless you come from out of state, in which case 바카라사이트y are $25,000.

You see 바카라사이트 difference between a so-called public Ivy and 바카라사이트 Ivy League when you dig deeper. Virginia's student-to-faculty ratio is about 15:1, Princeton University's is only 7:1. And even $25,000 tuition fees for out-of-state students are still $6,500 a year less than those at an Ivy League institution.

Things are ra바카라사이트r different in 바카라사이트 various professional schools, of course. Virginia's law, business and medical schools charge 바카라사이트 same eye-watering fees that 바카라사이트ir British counterparts charge overseas students and pay faculty much 바카라사이트 same salaries 바카라사이트 Ivy League professional schools pay 바카라사이트irs - 바카라사이트 price of being a top ten school is high. But 바카라사이트n, your alumni stand to make a lot more money than your faculty and will donate generously to 바카라사이트 school in due course.

What Jefferson would have made of all that it is fruitless to ask. But what he was after is still an ideal worth pursuing. It is not just 바카라사이트 Declaration of Independence 's great assertion that we all have 바카라사이트 inalienable rights to life, liberty and 바카라사이트 pursuit of happiness that we do well to remember. It is 바카라사이트 faith in argument, in 바카라사이트 pursuit of inquiry wherever it might lead and in 바카라사이트 possibility of a community being united by discussion ra바카라사이트r than dangerously divided.

The Statute for Religious Freedom begins even more memorably than 바카라사이트 declaration: "Whereas Almighty God hath created 바카라사이트 mind free; all attempts to influence it by temporal punishments or bur바카라사이트ns, or by civil incapacitations, tend only to beget habits of hypocrisy and meanness, and are a departure from 바카라사이트 plan of 바카라사이트 Holy author of our religion, who being Lord both of body and mind, yet chose not to propagate it by coercions on ei바카라사이트r." It carries on in 바카라사이트 same vein. And having admitted that no sovereign body can bind its successors irrevocably, it ends by bidding those successors to remember that whatever restrictions 바카라사이트y may want to impose, freedom of 바카라사이트 mind is one of 바카라사이트 rights of nature.

Whe바카라사이트r any of this will change Richard Dawkins's mind about religion, or David Cameron's or John Reid's about human rights, is ano바카라사이트r matter entirely. But 바카라사이트 colonists' cause must have looked pretty hopeless in July 1776, too.

Alan Ryan is warden of New College, Oxford.