EDUCATIONAL IDEAS BY THOMAS JEFFERSON AND SYED MUHAMMAD NAQUIB AL-ATTAS: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

Abstract

Education has been a subject of global discourse, both in the East and the West. These discussions often focus on the educational ideologies proposed by intellectuals and administrative elites. In the United States, for example, Thomas Jefferson, who served as President from 1801 to 1808, was an ardent advocate of education for national development. In Malaysia, Syed Muhammad Naquib Al-Attas is renowned as a scholar for his concept of the Islamisation of knowledge, which has resulted in numerous scholarly works. This study provides a comparative analysis of the educational ideas of Jefferson and Al-Attas, particularly in relation to the development of educational worldviews, the knowledgeble individuals, and the establishment of higher education institutions. These three components demonstrate how the educational philosophies of both figures can be applied to the advancement of their respective nations. The research employs qualitative methods, relying on an analysis of primary writings by Jefferson and Al-Attas. Jefferson’s personal correspondence, digitized and accessible through the Founders Online platform at the National Archives of the United States, was examined alongside Al-Attas’s magnum opus works. Comparative analyses were conducted to highlight the educational philosophies of these two figures within a historical framework. Authoritative secondary sources, including books and journal articles, were also utilised to support the discussion. This effort highlights the significance of Jefferson's ideas in advancing education in the United States and the intellectual contributions of Al-Attas to Malaysia's academic landscape during their respective eras. Although Jefferson was a statesman with intellectual inclinations, Al-Attas was an intellectual with a vision akin to that of a statesman. The study concludes that the educational philosophies of Jefferson and Al-Attas are instrumental in shaping worldviews, knowledgeble individuals, and contributing to the establishment of higher education institutions.