In conclusion, Benjamin Franklin 's life was full of interest, public service, and his legacy made him a good leader and a good citizen. Franklin is one of the most extraordinary human beings the world has ever known. He was an enlightened American and a good citizen. He rose from obscurity to become one of the greatest men of history. Although Benjamin Franklin will be remembered for his contributions to science and the founding of the United States, in the long run it could well be his personal system of ethics that endures the longest. He was a deeply tolerant man, accepting all others, and he practiced moderation in his life, avoiding extremes of behavior of all kinds. He lived by his personal ethical code, worked out in detail as a young
“Man 's tongue is soft, and bone doth lack; yet a stroke therewith may break a man 's back.” From Poor Richard’s Almanack in 1740, these are several out of thousands of wise words spoken by America’s greatest Founding Father, Benjamin Franklin. He was among the most famous people of his time period and was one of the greatest celebrated figures in the history of the United States. There are numerous ways in which he achieved these titles but they all amount to the one feature that was constant throughout his entire life, success. Through inventing, writing, conducting science experiments such as detecting the presence of electricity in lightning, and being one of the biggest renowned diplomats during the 18th century, his life would leave a
Benjamin Franklin is considered one of the key Founding Fathers of the United States as a renowned diplomat that helped build our country’s allyship with France and a civic activist for public institutions. While seen as the original ‘self made man’ of America and the root of the concept know as the ‘American Dream’, others have become critical of Franklin over time. Some believe that while Franklin had good intentions in creating public institutions, that they were primarily made for his own personal gain. Yet when one looks at the moral values of the club Franklin lead and his meticulous tracking of his ideas for individual improvement, it is clear that while Franklin’s scope of betterment may have started with just himself in mind, it
Modern American identity revolves around self improvement. Americans seek to improve themselves in all areas of life, be it socially, financially, or physically. Americans accomplish these goals through education and observing the successes of others. Benjamin Franklin, a man who is frequently admired by fellow Americans, embodies many of these qualities and, as such, has become an archetype of success and of what it means to be American. Benjamin Franklin is an archetypal American because of his values of self-improvement, community-mindedness, and frugality.
Through his efforts to influence and inspire the world, Benjamin Franklin led America to reach new heights that would eventually make it the strongest nation known to man. As one of the most involved men in the United States during his time, he managed to transform America and change it into the country its citizens love today. There are many ways that Franklin provoked the lives of the American people during his life. Even after his death, the whole nation carried on its motivation that was sparked by Benjamin Franklin. Franklin’s life was greatly influenced by Renaissance idealism. He was very inspired by the world around him and decided to pursue many aspects of the world which he found interesting. Most would say he was
He uses several allusions in order to bring other events and people to mind. Franklin wants to “...Imitate Jesus and Socrates” (143). He is also basing his methods of self-examination on Pythagoras’s. These historical figures are well-known by the general public. Mentioning these figures helps audiences know that Franklin wants to be wise, kind, and humble, and that he also is going to be orderly and self-reflective. Franklin also uses an anecdote in order to make a point about humanity’s acceptance of imperfection. By telling the story of the smith thinks “‘a speckled axe [is] best,” (145) he makes audiences reflect on their own actions in the past, and how they might change their behavior in the future. However, Franklin, albeit unintentionally, uses the black and white fallacy. Franklin seems to believe that imperfection is a bad thing, and that perfect people are the only good ones. The reality is far less simple. There are good people and there are bad people, but none of them are perfect. Perfection is impossible in this world, and, by failing to recognize that, Franklin presents the world in far simpler terms than what would do the world
During the late eighteenth century, Benjamin Franklin was one of the intelligent fellows who blended classicism with romanticism. As he tried to accomplish moral perfection he documented his tactics and his results in The Autobiography. Franklin described this task as “an arduous project” and brought two polar aspects of life, morals and science, together to try and reach the pinnacle of morality through the creation
To begin with, Benjamin Franklin is inspirational, The reason why he is inspirational franklin is a frugal, Inoffensive, Thrifty citizen, He said no one would fail because everyone could do it, And his role in the American Revolution. Moreover was also an inspiration, The reason why he is because he, A hero save many other people citizens, Also he participated in a long history of fighting britain. Benjamin franklin was a hero because of the honor, He brought our country in the American Revolution, And Benjamin Franklin involved the political opposition of his illegitimate, loyalist son, William.
Franklin claims that he has been living long enough to see errors that he made, therefore as he grow older, he tend to “doubt of [his] own judgment” because nobody is perfect due to his past experiences (43). The informations that Franklin presents is to show his reputation that he is not perfect, also his constitution but he is open minded and willing to make what is best for the people. The perspective errors of the constitution have, is being “sacrificed to the public good” meaning all the flaw that constitution have will not be reveal to the people (44). Franklin is very passion about what is best for the people and their happiness, furthermore his characteristic is very respectful toward the citizen and the congress. As a result, Benjamin Franklin is a wise man, in order to create trusts from the members of the congress, he utilizes his ethos by accepting his fallibilities and willing to do good for the constitution to be
The importance of Ben Franklin has been told all throughout history, along with the famous $100 bill with his face on it. Drafting the Declaration of Independence, foudning universities and libraries, the post office, shaping policies in the U.S., publishing newspapers, making advances in science, and letting us use bifocals and using lighting for electricity. Even if this man never finished school, he did much reading and experiments that help us out today. The reason why I chose to write about Benjamin Franklin was because he was a very important Founding Father and it’s important for people to learn all about
In Patrick Sullivan’s Benjamin Franklin, the Inveterate (and Crafty) Public Instructor, Sullivan states there are two types of readers. states that there are two types of readers of Benjamin Franklin’s The Way to Wealth; the “less sophisticated readers” who are presented with a great collection of proverbial advice, and the “more sophisticated readers” who are challenged to think independently. I must admit when reading The Way to Wealth the first time I was the less sophisticated reader, seeing it as merely a collection of practical proverbs, but after reading Sullivan’s essay I see how much more Franklin meant for his writing to be. This
Benjamin Franklin was a great man that had influences in many areas and because of that he had many enemies but because he understood human behavior he enabled himself to turn enemies into allies. To understand the Benjamin Franklin effect you need to know that the things you do often create the things you believe. An example is when “Franklin ran for his second term as a clerk, one of his colleagues delivered a long speech to the legislature lambasting Franklin. Franklin still won his second term, but this guy truly pissed him off. So he set out to turn his hater into a fan, but he wanted to do it without paying any servile respect to him. Franklin’s reputation as a book collector and library founder gave him a standing as a man of discerning literary tastes, so Franklin sent a letter to the hater asking if he could borrow a selection from his library. The rival, flattered sent it right away. A week later Franklin sent it back the collection with a thank you note” (McRaney par). Franklin later stated that the hater became a lifelong
“Benjamin Franklin lived his life in the spirit of a renaissance man: he was deeply interested in the world around him, and he excelled in several widely differing fields of human endeavor.” (“Home”). Franklin was born in Boston of 1706 where he was raised in a poor family and was unable to have an education for more than two years. At age 12, he was apprenticed by his older brother who worked in a printing business. Benjamin later became successful in the printing business and soon became successful through his inventions as well. Later, he also became involved in politics and became one of the founding fathers. Benjamin Franklin made significant impacts on America with his inventions and politics.
Robert Middlekauff starts off by introducing Benjamin Franklin as a well-mannered and civic-minded individual who is loved by everyone. Of course, Benjamin Franklin was a little bit reserved when it came to strangers, but that never stopped people from growing fond of him. His good heart and spirit lead him to amazing people like Margaret Stevenson (Polly), John Adams, William Strahan, and Thomas Jefferson to name a few. Besides from having a well-liked personality Robert Middlekauff also reveals that Benjamin Franklin was a curious man who came equipped with an outstanding resumé. Benjamin Franklin’s resumé starts from a print shop to a politician, and finally to a scientist. Having worked in different
Scientist, diplomat, and inventor are three elements that describe Benjamin Franklin. Many people know that Benjamin Franklin studied electricity, but he did so much more. As a well known diplomat, Ben Franklin, showed Americans that they should be freed from British rule by fighting for their freedom. He left a lasting legacy as a Revolutionary War hero, a founding father, and a great scientist.