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Franklin Essay

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Can some man arrive at moral perfection in this life, or is it impossible? Benjamin Franklin was an extremely brilliant and talented individual. He constantly sought ways to improve himself. After he read “The Spectator” he put in a very dedicated effort to imitate their style of writing because he loved how precise the authors wrote out their thoughts. Franklin was also a relatively religious man or at least believed enough to try to be a morally righteous man so that he would avoid his way into hell. Through these beliefs and virtues Franklin created a plan to achieve moral perfection. Although finding the task somewhat more difficult than he first imagined he stayed with his convictions and deduced thirteen virtues to improve upon and …show more content…

Temperance, for example, was by some confin’d to eating and drinking, while by others it was extended to mean the moderating every other pleasure, appetite, inclination or passion, bodily or mental, even to our avarice and ambition.” (BF, p67). This was the problem that Franklin came across in his studies on virtues. This problem also eventually lead him to create a list of what he deemed were the most important virtues that man should strive to improve upon in life to reach moral perfection. The list was much shorter and more specific than anything he read in his studies. The list goes as follows: Temperance (eat not to dullness. Drink not to elation), Silence (speak not but what may benefit others or yourself. Avoid trifling conversation), Order (let all your things have their places. Let each part or your business have its time), Resolution (resolve to perform what you ought. Perform without fail what you resolve), Frugality (make no expense but to do good to others or yourself, waste nothing), Industry (lose no time, be always employed in something useful, cut off all unnecessary actions), Sincerity (use no hurtful deceit, think innocently and justly; and, if you speak; speak accordingly), Justice (wrong none, by doing injuries or omitting the benefits that your duty), Moderation (avoid extremes, forbear resenting injuries so much as you think the deserve), Cleanliness (tolerate no uncleanness in body, clothes or habitation), Tranquility (be not

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