Benjamin Franklin's Out Of All 13 Virtues

The first virtue Ben Franklin wanted was “An Aversion to Tyranny”. The main idea of this to Ben is that he doesn’t like tyranny, which is power or control of one person. He didn’t like to be told what to do to and he also liked some control and therefore, have a limited government. Ben didn’t want any dictatorship either, which meant no kings or queens. Franklin realized that he didn’t like the idea of tyranny when he was 12 years old. He became an apprentice at the print shop of his older brother, James, who tended to be a tougher boss.

Benjamin Franklin’s most important virtue is moderation, without it many individuals could get disorientated to the point where stimulation dominants their daily lives. Benjamin Franklin said, “Avoid extremes. Forebear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.” However, the extreme consequence of moderation is that the creativity in many individuals wouldn’t exist. If the new ideas and inspirations of creative individuals can’t grow than evolution can’t take place. Therefore, if moderation is used carefully in a society, it is an important virtue for present and future generations.

Benjamin Franklin is revered by Americans as one of its most revered and adored founding fathers. For foreigners, Benjamin Franklin became the very icon of America, not only because he was accomplished, but because he was a new man, a man that could only have been made in America. Franklin came to be seen as the embodiment of American values.

The first way Benjamin Franklin attempted to become perfect was he listed character traits that contributed to perfectibility. He believed a person that was perfect had these specific traits. The character traits were: temperance, silence, order, resolution, frugality, industry, sincerity, justice, moderation, cleanliness, tranquility, chastity, and humility. Franklin made a chart with

Benjamin Franklin came up with the idea to make his life better by trying to be perfect in every way. This can otherwise be known as trying to reach a state of moral perfection, in which one could find themselves being happy with the life they live, and also living a pure, sinless life. It has come to be questioned if attempting to achieve moral perfection is a worthwhile goal. In the end of his experiment he ended up not being able to reach or achieve his goal but learned a very crucial, very valuable lesson. He discovered throughout the recesses of his journey that achieving his goal would be found to be impossible, but in turn he learned that many of the virtues are good to try and maintain during everyday activities and through life

The essay Citizen Ben: A worldly American’s Seven Great Virtues by Walter Isaacson is an essay begins talking about Benjamin Franklin. When we think of Benjamin Franklin our minds automatically turn to the story about him flying a kite in a lightening storm with a rod on to prove that lightening was electricity. This is one thing that Franklin did but he did many more as well, in fact it says that he was an inventor diplomat, writer and business strategist. He helped bring the country that we live in today about. There are many views on him that show him in a good light and some that show him in a bad light. There are some that saw that he was shallow and didn’t show great

Explain Franklin’s quest for moral perfection. What process did he use? How successful was he? Which virtues did he find most challenging to maintain? What was meant by saying “a speckled ax is best?”

In the second section, he outlines the principle, or cardinal virtues: Prudence, Temperance, Justice and Fortitude, which could also be termed wisdom, self-control, fairness, equity, and steadfastness. He uses the vivid illustration of an athlete, or mathematician who practices a virtue, making a shot in tennis, or solving problems till they become internalized, a part of the person who disciplined himself to perfect them.

In his autobiography, Benjamin Franklin discusses the importance of thirteen virtues that can make a man as close to perfect as possible. He explains the value of each virtue and keeps a detailed and organized chart of how he practices those virtues. Personally, I understand his methodology in his autobiography and have actually done the same when I was younger. Although I relate to the majority of his listed characteristics, I’ve found that I struggle the most with resolution.

Brands, H.W.. The first American: the life and times of Benjamin Franklin. New York: Doubleday,

If ever a story embodied what has come to be known as the American Dream, it is the life story of Benjamin Franklin. Franklin could be considered a passionate and energetic man who motivated himself by self-determination and a strong work ethic to achieve self-improvement. Beyond his sometimes-lofty personal aspirations to attain self-improvement, Franklin’s deep conviction inspired him to help others live well. He demonstrated this conviction in his reasons for writing, his willingness to portray his mistakes as well as his successes as a means of instruction, his recounting of the assistance he gave to others, and his desire to create useful solutions. Franklin successfully used his story to depict this

“I never expect to see a perfect work from an imperfect man,”(Hamilton). Alexander Hamilton was a fellow founding father of Benjamin Franklin and was first secretary of the treasury. Similarly to Franklin, Hamilton was a self made man and known for his self-improvement; however, Hamilton’s plan of self-improvement was different that Franklin’s. Due to Hamilton being born a bastard, thus being of low position, he seized every opportunity to gain knowledge and a higher social rank. In The Autobiography by Benjamin Franklin, Franklin explains his plan for self-improvement. Franklin intentionally wants to live a life without any faults, so he lists thirteen good virtues he feels that he falls short of the mark and will try to maintain those virtues. He creates a calendar to track his progress, and starts at the first virtue the first week, then the second week he adds the second virtue.Benjamin Franklin didn’t make this plan up on the fly, he thought long and hard about how he would form the plan and his decisions affected his plan and results of the plan. The Autobiography by Benjamin Franklin shows his plan having multiple uses and effects.

In his Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle explores virtues as necessary conditions for being happy. A virtuous person is a person with a disposition toward virtuous actions and who derives pleasure from behaving virtuously. Aristotle distinguishes between two types of human virtue: virtues of thought and virtues of character. Virtues of thought are acquired through learning and include virtues like wisdom and prudence; virtues of character include bravery and charity, which are acquired by habituation and require external goods to develop. As a consequence, not all people can acquire virtues of character because not all people have the external goods and resources required to develop that disposition.

Benjamin Franklin was one of the greatest Americans in our country’s history. He is recognized today with the honor of being on the one hundred dollar bill. Benjamin Franklin was only able to become a prominent figure in American society during the 1700s because of the twelve virtues which he mastered and adhered to every day. In Benjamin Franklin’s “from The Autobiography,” the virtue of industry is important to his success. Michel-Guillaume de Crèvecoeur’s American farmer and Mark Twain’s Jim Smiley find success through their usage of industry while Edwin Robinson does not find success due to the lack of industry.

Benjamin Franklin’s Autobiography is an inspiring tale of his personal, as well as public achievement throughout his life. Franklin’s life embodies the exemplary model of a life composed of discipline, self-reliance and self improvement. From his humble beginnings as an apprentice candle and soap maker in his father’s business to a successful business man, author, philosopher, civil activist, politician scientist, inventor, and diplomat, above all Benjamin Franklin was, and still is, an American Icon and truly a pioneer of the American Dream.