In his Autobiography, Benjamin Franklin recognized the merit of the virtuous life that Puritan colonist hold so dear. He began to see that a path of virtue not only led to moral perfection but also to worldly success. And while his path differed considerably from the Puritans, in many ways, they were similar enough to arrive at the same destination. After attending a sermon that defined the meaning of a virtuous life, Benjamin Franklin sought to achieve moral perfection. Like the Puritans, he planned to combat natural inclinations by building a life of strong moral preservation.
is a united states philosophy that seeks to justify the manner in which this country has understood its place in the world and how it interact with other. Supporters of Manifest Destiny believe that the expansion is not only good but also obvious ( manifest) and accurate (target). Manifest Destiny has sustained the belief that God chose the people for political and economic power and the U.S. is a nation different than the rest of the world. And the way to prove it is "spread throughout the continent that has been assigned by the-Divine-Providence, to develop the great experiment of liberty and self government." It first appears in an article wrote by the journalist John L. Annexation O'Sullivan, published in New York Democratic Review, in July-August 1845.
Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin By: Ann Etmus Liberty University Professor Blass Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin The autobiography of Benjamin Franklin was acknowledged as one of the great autobiographies of the world. Ben Franklin was an excellent writer, inventor and statesman. The autobiography is addressed to his son and begins with Dear son. What is he trying to convey to his son? “Having emerged from poverty and obscurity in which I was born and bred, to a state of affluence and some degree of reputation in the world, and having gone so far through life with a considerable share of felicity, the conducing means I made use of, which with the blessing of God so well succeeded, my posterity may like to know, as they may find some of them suitable to their own situations, and therefore fit to be imitated (Benjamin Franklin Biography).” With this statement and with such a great personality, he is assuring readers that poverty and obscurity will not come into the way of one’s success.
Outline For Prompt One Thesis: That self-interest is a positive trait to have. Smith argues that self-interest is needed in order to better society. Tocqueville argues that self interest leads to good actions. Topic 1: Adam Smith 1: Explain what Adam Smith’s claim about self-interest reveals. 2: Discuss the Wealth of Nations, how self-interest leads to society improving 3: Discuss his perspective in Theory of Moral Sentiments, how self-interest is created and works hand in hand with society.
This all laid the groundwork for much of his public and political life, as well as with his relationship to his son. William, "had learned his first and most enduring political lessons at his father's knee" (Skemp 88) and doubtless, the clever conversational and compromising tactics of his father had an impacting influence upon the younger Franklin. Ben's involvement and influence truly helped shape William's public, as well as his private, life. Indeed, it was due to his father's encouragement that William enlisted in the Royal Army, studied law, and was justified in accepting
What he means by this is that it’s not only the right thing to do but it is the duty of the wealthy elites to ensure the advancement of society as a whole. Moreover, he even takes it a step further and asserts that, “They [rich men] have it in their power during their lives to busy themselves in organizing benefactions from which the masses of their fellows will derive lasting advantage, and thus dignify their own lives” (Carnegie 370). Thus, the philanthropy of the rich is not only beneficial to the community but also the individual. His favor of a Carnegie later goes on to even go as far as condemning those who worships wealth as a false idol. He is very critical of those who hoarded their surplus riches while living and only wait until their death to allow their amassed fortune to be used for public goods.
Our founding fathers were inspired by influential people to write the great documents for America. For instance, Thomas Jefferson, the primary author of the Declaration of Independence, was inspired by ideas of philosophers in the Enlightenment. The Enlightenment ideas from political philosophers were used by other founding fathers as a means to motivate others for the Revolution. After the Revolution, James Madison also used ideas of Enlightenment philosophers to construct the United States Constitution. Philosophers, like Montesquieu, Voltaire, and Rousseau, all had a great influence in the making of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.
Benjamin Franklin’s Idea of Moral Perfection as a Paradox In Philip Santa-Maria’s critical essay on Benjamin Franklin’s idea of moral perfection, he examines the autobiography in several ways. Santa-Maria views Franklin’s autobiography as a “pocket guide for the youth of the 19th century” (Santa-Maria). He believes that Franklin wrote the autobiography as a standard of excellence for an enlightened individual. Throughout the course of his critical essay, Santa-Maria critiques the thirteen virtues Franklin promotes in his autobiography, as well as the basic idea of moral perfection. Santa-Maria begins his essay by expressing his belief that Franklin is actually hindering the liberation of the youth in his efforts to promote their liberty.
In this case, I agree with her partially. Being rational is undoubtedly an essential human virtue. But can this be applied universally? I believe that there are situations when no one is able to act rationally and this might not always be a negative attribute. This issue makes me think of my father, who often tells me that in one of his most important business decisions, he relied on his ‘gut feeling’ instead of his rational self and still made one of his best decisions ever.
History books are written of great men like our fore fathers, who chose to carve a path of hard work and determination to reach their goals and make the world a better place. Hemingway’s words embody a message that our culture desperately needs. In the past, great men chose to act in the better interest of the common good. George Washington chose to free our nation, Abraham Lincoln chose to free the slaves, and Martin Luther King Jr. chose to free the country of its bigoted racial prejudices. All of these men chose to avoid going through the motions and live with a purpose that was outside of the social norm.