Autobiography on Benjamin Franklin

Introduction

Benjamin Franklin is one of the American Founding fathers and also considered as a polymath. Franklin had several titles such as humorist, scientist and civic activist. Being a scientist, he played a significant role in physics history as well as enlightening the United States using his theory to discover electricity. Due to his early and indefatigable call for unity campaigns in America, Franklin managed to earn a title for himself as "The First American." He won this title since he acted as the spokesperson and initial author for many colonies. Also, Franklin played a significant role in exemplifying the United States when he was the Ambassador to France. Based on the human aspect of the accounts, Franklin's autobiography presents a different story from any other great leader in America.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

The Establishment of Public Library by Franklin in Philadelphia

The establishment of the public library in Philadelphia is an event that was initiated by Franklin and the Junto members. Junto was a philosophical organization. From this initiative, Franklin and Junto members created "Article of Agreement" to establish a library. During this time, the majority of the Americans were illiterate (FRANKLIN CHAPTER 1). They did not have access to a public library either could they afford to get books for improving their reading skills. Therefore, using the combined efforts, Franklin and Jumbo group decided to purchase books in a pool for the library. Each subscriber had a contribution that helped in stocking the papers leading to the launch of the public library.

Effects of the Library to Franklin and the Community

The establishment of the public library is an initiative that brought positive impacts on the community. The library became a place books' collection point which enabled members to make reading as a popular activity. Moreover, due to the availability of books in the library, many people in America got better instructions and intelligent since they got well-acquitted with books. Therefore, comparing them to other people of the same rank in different countries, they were ranked the best in terms of knowledge. Also, due to the existence of books in the library, the majority of the people liked and agreed to Franklin since he enabled the people to engage in a more informed way.

Franklin's Quest for Moral Perfection

Franklin considered morality as an ingredient for bringing an ideal and healthy lifestyle to all the human beings' aspects of life. There was a consideration of important issues like family and work by the people while upholding morality. Again, Franklin suggests that people should strive to live without committing any criminal activity at any time of their life. Further, Franklin explains that according to him, morality is when people used the best approach to handle particular situations.

Process Used by Franklin

The journey for moral perfection by Franklin began after he made a conclusion that he intended to live without committing any mistake at any point and time in life. During this time, he already determined the good and bird. Therefore, he had already given considerations to why he would always fail to perform one action while leaving the other. Consequently, he considered using a long process that consists of thirteen excellences (FRANKLINE CHAPTER 2).

Franklin's Success in Quest for Moral Perfection

The wishes of Franklin to live without committing any fault at some point in life leads to his success. He goes through an arduous process to pursue moral perfection makes him record a remarkable achievement in his quest. For example, he makes an effort and notices that there was a lumping together of many works by authors and commentators in their description for the word 'virtue' making it meaningless at the end.

Virtues Franklin Found Hard to Maintain

The virtue which Franklin found a challenge in maintaining is temperance. According to him, this virtue was very demanding. It had an accompaniment of a series of eternal vigilance that could enable him to go through the temptations that occurred frequently. Hence, it was not easy to achieve moral perfection without maintaining temperance.

Meaning of "a speckled axe is best"

By using this phrase, Franklin implied that instead of someone giving in entirely to evil inclinations, due to many impediments, people should always try their best to observe morality in society. Further, he lauds that the efforts by human beings to try and struggle against evil, enable them to have the two phases of life which are good and evil.

Was Franklin a Religious Man

From the autobiography and the discourse presentation, Franklin respected religious ideas and respected them. For instance, he narrates about the malicious distortion of the Bible messages by a traveling doctor while he was in England. The spiritual nature of Franklin is evident when he condemns the evil character of this doctor, proving that he subscribes to the religious beliefs. Further illustrations on Franklin's faith emanates when he refers to the doctor as "an unbeliever" and also "a wicked man." (FRANKLIN CHAPTER 3). The use of these negative terms by Franklin against the doctor shows that he primarily had the enthusiasm to condemn the doctor based on he did to the Bible. Hence, the viewpoint of which Franklin shows displeasure with the doctor's ill motives of distorting the Bible teaches that he had some religious roots.

Work Cited

Franklin, B. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. [Reading, Pa.?]: The Spencer Press, 2006. Print.