Crevecoeur's What Is An American

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John Locke’s philosophy of the “tabula rasa” is the idea that we as humans are born with a mind that is a blank slate and therefor all knowledge that comes to us is from our experiences from the outside world. Specifically, through the five senses. Locke’s philosophy is a present theme in St. Jean De Crevecoeur’s novel, What is an American? Crevecoeur’s writings include his ideas on race and life in America. He explains the difference between Europe and this new land, America. For example, the difference in wealth, the economy, freedom, behaviors, religion, and relationships with nature. It is stated in the textbook that Crevecoeur "subscribed in some degree to Rousseau’s idealization of natural man as inherently good when free and subject

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