Reflection- Benjamin Franklin: Virtues

Benjamin Franklin had his own system of virtues that I believe definitely made him successful in becoming a better person.  Benjamin Franklin's system of virtues consisted of thirteen main virtues with their own description.  The first is temperance, which means "eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation" ("Being Virtuous").  This means that you should not eat because you are bored, or drink excessive amount of alcohol just for fun.  The second virtue is silence: "Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation" ("Being Virtuous").  Another virtue is order, which is when you "let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time" ("Being Virtuous").  The fourth virtue is resolution, or "resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve" ("Being Virtuous").  The next virtue is frugality, which means "make no expense but to do good in others or yourself; i.e, waste nothing" ("Being Virtuous").  The sixth virtue is industry:
"lose no time.  Be always employed in something useful.  Cut off all unnecessary actions."  Another virtue is sincerity, which means "use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly" ("Being Virtuous").  The next virtue is justice, meaning "wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty" ("Being Virtuous").  The next virtue of Benjamin Franklin is moderation: "avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve" ("Being Virtuous").  The tenth virtue is cleanliness, which means "tolerate no uncleanliness in body, clothes, or habitation" ("Being Virtuous").  The next virtue is tranquility, meaning "be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable" (Being Virtuous").  Another virtue that Benjamin Franklin followed is chastity, which means "rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or anothers peace or reputation" ("Being Virtuous").  The thirteenth and final virtue is humility, which means "imitate Jesus and Socrates" ("Being Virtuous").

I think there are many reasons why these thirteen virtues helped Benjamin Franklin become a better individual, or at least helped him try to be a better individual.  Benjamin Franklin was always aware of what he or someone else was doing.  He seems like a man who was very in touch with his surroundings.  Benjamin Franklin kept a small journal with him at all times, and in the journal he kept track of the virtues he did and did not follow daily.  This helped him physically see written down on paper what he felt like he had to work on to become a better person.  I think that they fact that he always had the journal with him as a reminder made him remember to make the effort to portray all of these virtues.  As time went on, he did not even need the reminder anymore.  Maybe he just got so used to trying to be the best person he could be, it started to come naturally to him, without any extra thought.  I think people would benefit from making special efforts like that. The world would be a better place.


"Being Virtuous: Benjamin Franklin’s 13 Virtues of Life | The Art of Manliness." The Art of Manliness | Men’s Interests and Lifestyle. Web. 27 Oct. 2011.

Reflection- Benjamin Franklin: Deism

Benjamin Franklin believed and followed thirteen virtues that definitely represent the philosophies of Deism.  Deism is the rational belief in God, and “a belief in God based on reason rather than revelation and involving the view that God set the universe in motion but does not interfere with how it runs” (Microsoft Word).  Benjamin Franklin’s thirteen virtues were temperance, silence, order, resolution, frugality, industry, sincerity, justice, moderation, cleanliness, tranquility, chastity, and humility.  In his writing in The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, there are many examples that we, as readers, can observe and conclude that his ideas and reactions to his experiences could certainly be an example of the philosophies of Deism.

            I think that one example of a Rationalist idea from Benjamin Franklin in the writing of The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin could be when he is discussing his first few days in Philadelphia.  One of the first things that Benjamin Franklin talks about is how there was not a place to buy good books anywhere in the entire area (Franklin 139).  The only way that he, or any others, could get books was by either importing them from Europe (which is what everyone mostly did) or borrowed them from each other (Franklin 139).  The people that Benjamin Franklin associated with in Philadelphia were the ones importing their books and exchanging them with one another. 

“Finding the advantage of this little collection, I proposed to render the benefit from the books more common, by commencing a public subscription uncertain…Not having any copy here of what is already written, I know not whether any account is given of the means I used to establish the Philadelphia library; which from a small beginning is now become so considerable.” (Franklin 139)

In my opinion, Benjamin Franklin’s act of creating the first public library in Philadelphia could be a combination of several of his virtues: order, resolution and industry.  Order means to “let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.”  Resolution means to “resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.”  Industry means “lose not time; be always employed in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.” (Amidst a tangled web.)  Ben’s ideas for the library were practical, which absolutely supports the philosophies of Deism.

            Another example that I found in reading The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin was when Ben was describing how he and his wife were living while he was trying to get the new public library up and running.  He talks about how much his wife had been helping him, and that their lifestyle had to make some sacrifices since money was tight.

“We have an English proverb that says, ‘He that would thrive must ask his wife.’  It was lucky for me that I had one as much disposed to industry and frugality as myself.” (Franklin 143-4)

            It states right in the passage that both of the Franklin’s followed at least two of the thirteen virtues.  They had to buy cheap furniture and Ben Franklin says that he ate breakfast out of a “two-penny earthen porringer, with a pewter spoon” (Franklin 144).  Although his wife was frugal, she surprised her husband with a china bowl and a silver spoon because she was so proud of how hard he had worked.  If love was one of the thirteen virtues, they would be the perfect example.

Franklin, Benjamin. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. Henry Altemus, 1895. Print.

"Deism." Microsoft Word Dictionary/Thesaurus. Microsoft Corporation, 2006.Software.

Journal #14- aprentice for Ben Franklin

If I were the apprentice for Benjamin Franklin for a day, I feel like I would have the best day ever.  Ben Franklin is one of the most genius people in American history, and the things he did every day must have been so interesting.  I can imagine that such a smart man would need fuel for his brain to get through the day, so the first thing we would do together is get breakfast.  I know for sure that I would have french toast, scrambled eggs, an English muffin with strawberry jelly, bacon and a tall glass of hot chocolate.  I do not know much about Ben Franklin's personal taste, but I can picture him having something similar to me.  Maybe a stack of pancakes smothered in butter and maple syrup, eggs sunny side up, and a lot of sausage.  He needed brain power!  After our very hearty breakfast, we would go out into town and visit the important people that we needed to discuss things with.  Maybe we would stop by Thomas Jefferson's house and pay him a visit.  This would be around the time that the Declaration of Independence was being finalized.  We would definitely be going to the Constitutional Convention and trying to work out some decisions with the other people of importance.  Some of these people would include Thomas Jefferson, Hamilton, and many others.  I would definitely run up to Thomas Jefferson and shake his hand because he was a Democratic Republican.  In history class we had a debate between the Federalists and the Democratic Republicans, and I am very happy to say that I am totally with the Democratic Republicans.  I love Thomas Jefferson!  Honestly, I can not remember which side Ben Franklin was with, but I do not care.  I still love him and would love to be his apprentice.  I think that it would be so sweet to go back in time and be able to meet all of the amazing and intelligent people who were so influential on our country.

Reflection - Patrick Henry

The Rationalism writing style is know for using logic and reason to answer questions or explain things. It is very different from the writing style of the Puritans because it leaves religion, beliefs, and emotional feelings out of it to explain idea or situations, and to make decisions. In Speech to the Second Virginia Convention, written and spoken by Patrick Henry, there are several examples of how his speech exemplifies the Rationalism writing style. In the first part of his speech, Patrick Henry is beginning to discuss slavery and freedom (Henry 116).

"It is only in this way that we can hope to arrive at truth, and fulfill the great responsibility which we hold to God and our country. Should I keep back my opinions at such a time, through fear of giving offense, I should consider myself as guilty of treason toward my country, and of an act of disloyalty toward the Majesty of Heaven, which I revere about all earthy kings." (Henry 117)

One of the key points to the Puritan lifestyle, which includes the writing style of the Puritans, is how involved their religion and God was in making any decision of any kind. In this statement, Patrick Henry comes right out and straight up says how he views the subject of bringing religion in the conversation (Henry 117). He makes it clear that while he does believe in God and views him as much higher above any human being, he does not want that personal information to offend anyone or give them the wrong impression. Patrick Henry obviously feels like bringing religion in as the main decider in a big decision or conflict is unecessary, and it is much better to let everyone keep their personal beliefs at home so they can focus on the conflict itself and trying to find a logical solution (Henry 117). I do believe that the fact that Patrick Henry even mentioned God leans a little on the side of the Puritan style of writing, but it is immediately followed by stating that it does not matter because it is not relevant to the rest of the speech.

Patrick Henry also makes another point in his speech that can lead the reader away from the idea that this was written in Puritan writing style and was obviously written to immatate the Rationalism style of writing. Patrick Henry is talking about how people sometimes close their eyes to bad situations and attempt to avoid them, hoping they will eventually go away (Henry 117). "For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth; to know the worst and provide for it." I think that this can be considered an example of Rationalist writing because he is saying that he wants the truth and nothing but the truth. The Rationalists were very straight forward. The focused on having nothing but the raw facts, and Patrick Henry is saying how, no matter the consequences or what may happen, that is all he wants to hear.

Reflection- Ben Franklin

The writing of Ben Franklin in his autobiography is very different from the writing styles of the Puritans in many ways.  Ben Franklin is very well known for being more of a rational thinker, which means that his thinking was more logical and not based on religion or God, like that of the Puritans.  In The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, he makes a few key statements that support the idea that he was more of a Rationalist thinker.  The first quote I found to be particularly interesting.  "Man is sometimes more generous when he has little money than when he has plenty; perhaps to prevent his being thought to have but little" (Franklin 108).  I think that this sentence can be contrasted to Puritan writing in one key way.  The life of the Puritans was based on their religion, and the Puritans believed in predestination.  This means that God had already decided who was going to Heaven and who was going to Hell, but the person was not aware of which they were.  To try to make sure that they were chosen to go to Heaven, the Puritans spent their life doing very good things, including charity, to try to change God's mind in a sense.  Ben Franklin's thought states that it is typical for men to be more likely to do charity when they themselves do not have much.  To the Puritans, doing charity and being generous was just a given.  You were supposed to do that all of the time.  Ben Franklin is saying that men only do that sometimes, and typically is it so other people do not suspect them of not having enough for themselves.  In a way, this type of charity would solely be based off of selfishness.  I think that Ben Franklin's point to this statement was to prove that sometimes, people only do good things to show people that they can do good things.  It kind of takes the goodness out of it, which it what the Puritans pretty much lived for.

Another part of The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin that I believe proves that his writing differs from Puritan writing is the passage when he talks about joining the Quakers in Philadelphia. 

"Thus refreshed I walked again up the street, which by this time had many clean-dressed people in it, who were all walking the same way.  I joined them, and thereby was led into the great meeting-house of the Quakers, near the market.  I sat down among them, and after looking round awhile and hearing nothing said, being very drowsy through labor and want of rest the proceding night, I fell fast asleep and continued so till the meeting broke up, when some one was kind enough to rouse me.  This, therefore, was the first house I was in, or slept in, in Philadelphia."

 This passage goes against Puritan writing style because it simply involves another religion.  The Puritans were not very open-minded people.  The act of going into another religious place, as Ben Franklin did, would have been totally out of line.  Benjamin Franklin was so comfortable he fell asleep in it.

Journal 13- American Dream

I think that the American Dream in the present day should be similar to the original American Dream that was created in the early nineteen-fifties.  Back then, the American Dream was to have the perfect family, in the perfect house, in the perfect neighborhood, with other perfect necessities.  The perfect family was considered pretty kids, who had very good manners and were well behaved.  I think the parents wanted the children to be considered perfect because they thought that the kids were portraying them and their way of life.  I think the parents back then were very concerned with what other people thought of them.  If their children were misbehaved, the parents by be accused of not bringing them up properly.  The perfect house of the American Dream was considered the “cookie-cutter” house that was located in the suburbs.  I do not think that that is the same as what is considered the American Dream in the present day.  Nowadays, I think that there are two different kinds of houses that can fit the mold of the modern American Dream.  The first would be the biggest house ever.  I think that all Americans dream of having the biggest, most beautiful house in the neighborhood.  This would show society that they have good taste and enough money to have good taste.  The second option for the American Dream home would be the most unique house ever.  I think that this is the total opposite of the nineteen-fifties version of the American Dream.  Back then, the Dream was to be like everyone else.  If you were out of the ordinary, you were considered weird.  In the present day, it’s like the weirder your house is (weird in a tasteful way, if that can make any sense), the more popular and desired it will be.  Now, the American Dream is to have a very high paying job so you can have things that are high quality.  This would include name brand clothes, expensive cars, big houses, and a very good education at a well known, expensive school.

Journal 12- rules

If I were to make up my own rules about right and wrong, I could fill an entire series of encyclopedias.  My first rule about what is considered right and wrong would be "always be hones."  In my complete and serious opinion, honesty is ALWAYS the best policy.  I absolutely hate when people are not honest, and I really think that there is no need for it.  In Sliferville, aka Princesstown, honesty is the only policy.  If anyone chooses to lie in my town, there will be extremely bad consequence.  Lying is a sin and no matter what you believe in, there will always be something bad.  Nothing good ever comes of out of lying, especially in my theoretical town.  Another rule in my town would be to always try to look your best.  I know it is a little superficial, but I think it is kind of disrespectful and gross when people walk around after they had literally just rolled out of bed.  Like really, can you not take a shower or something?  Or change clothes?  I guess a better rule would be you are required to take a shower every single day.  The citizens of Princesstown are going to be well known and famous for being clean and not smelly horrible.  The person who smells disgusting will get kicked out if they do not shower after the first warning.  You do not have to be pretty to live in Princesstown, just try to keep yourself cleaned up.  It is completely wrong to let yourself go and be gross for other people to see and smell you.  Another rule that I would enforce would be to always be positive.  My biggest pet peeve is when people have negative attitudes.  When you are negative, it effects the people around you.  Princesstown is supposed to be a friendly and cheerful place.  There is a zero tolerance policy on being negative.  No one likes it because it it the most annoying, selfish thing on the planet.  Princesstown will be the happiest place on earth. <3

Journal 11- aphorism

Aphorisms are defined as "a short, pointed statement that expresses a wise or clever observation about human experience."  One aphorism I found that I particularly thought was enjoyable was "efficiency is intelligent laziness."  I think that these words of David Dunham very much explain human nature.  Human beings are generally pretty lazy.  The only reason why technology and new discoveries are made is because we are lazy and simply trying to make our lives easier than what they are.  If you think back even only one hundred years ago, there are so many things that we have now that have been invented for the specific reason of making the human life much easier and more convenient.  There are many examples of this.  One would be the very laptop I am writing this blog on.  I really liked using laptops until I came into this class and that was the only thing that we worked on.  That invention could have been skipped or overlooked.  Another invention that was not invented one hundred years ago was the cell phone.  My cell phone is pretty much my entire life, and I am sure that I can speak for the rest of the teenage and young adult possible.  I definitely think that the cell phone is a good example of the aphorism "efficiency is intelligent laziness."  Before even the regular phone was made, the people's only form of communication was one of a few things; either word of mouth, by letter, or you had to tell the person the information directly face to face.  Another big example that I just now thought of is fast food.  How lazy does our society have to be to invent food that you have to eat on the go!  No wonder we are so fat!  I think that David Dunham was spot on when he came up with that aphorism.  It explains our society exactly, in many good and bad ways.  There are mostly bad though I think.

Reflection - Rowlandson/Bradstreet

In the writings of Anna Bradtreet and Mary Rowlandson, there are many things that we can compare.  Not only can we compare them to each other, but we can also compare them to the time period because both are from around the same time.  In Mary Rowlandson's writing of A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mary Rowlandson, she is describing the time in her life when she was captured by and lived with the Native Americans.  Mary Rowlandson is a Puritan, so obviously she is going to talk a lot about her religion and how God is a major part in her life.  As she is living among the Indians, Mary Rowlandson is not having a very good time.  One of her children was lucky enough to be able to stay with her, but it was very sick.  She tried to carry it with her so it would have a better chance of living, but finally it past away in her arms.  Mary describes how before she could never had standed the thought of being next to a dead person, but she laid with her dead baby all night long. 

I have thought since of the wonderful goodess of God in me, in preserving me so in the use of my reason and senses in that distressed time, that I did not use wicked and violent means to end my own miserable life. (Rowlandson 83)

  Mary Rowlandson gives credit to God for why she made it through in such hard times.  This was not the only time that Mary thanked God for giving her the will to live.  She explains that her most prized and precious belonging that she had during the time spent with the Native Americans was her Bible.  She is constantly thankful to God for giving her opportunities to keep living and to make it through the day when times seem to be at their worst.  Sure, living with the Native Americans wasn't impossible, but it was no walk in the park.  As any good Puritan would, Mary Rowlandson gave all of her glory, gratefulness, and life to God.  In Anna Bradstreet's poem titled Upon the Burning of Our House, there are also many examples of the traditional Puritan writing.  Anna Bradstreet is talking about how her house had burned down, but how God was there for her and everything was okay.  "Then, coming out, beheld a space / The flame consume my dwelling place. / And when I could no longer look, / I blest His name that gave and took, / That laid my goods now in the dust. / Yea, so it was, and so 'twas just. / It was His own, it was not mine, / Far it be that I should repine; / He might of all justly bereft / But yet suffient for us left. / When by the ruins oft I pass / My sorrowing eyes aside did cast."  I think that this small portion from the poem pretty much sums it up.  As a Puritan, Anna Bradstreet believed that God controlled every single part of her life.  When God chose to take away everything that she owned, Anna did not sulk or feel sorry.  She felt that everything belonged to God, so He had every right to take it away from her.  Her real home was up with God in heaven.

Reflection- Thomas Paine

In the writing of Thomas Paine, he is addressing the revolution to the colonists in America.  His passage of  The Crisis, No. 1, there was one passage that especially made me believe this: "These are the times that try men's souls.  The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of a man and woman,  Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph."  This is the very first paragraph Thomas Paine wrote in The Crisis, No. 1.  Thomas Paine makes an excellent point.  He is trying to get the point across that the Revolutionary War is most definitely worth fighting for, and people should not be afraid of it.  Yes, wars are extremely dangerous, expensive, and inconvenient, but the cause of the war makes it worth it.  He is asking the colonists to consider what could happen and what the consequences would be if they fought a war to gain their independence from England.  Not all consequences have to be negative.  He wants them to think about the positives that would happen.  If the Americans were no longer under the English thumb, think of all of the differences that would happen and make their lives so much better.  The English would no longer be able to control every little thing that the Americans do.  This would include taxes, and their control over their imports and exports.  Thomas Paine is trying to convince the people of America that if they fought a war against England, it would be very much worth it in the end.  I can imagine that it would be very hard to fight a war if the citizens were one of two things: either unaware of both the negative and the positive consequences (which Thomas Paine is attempting to portray in his passage The Crisis, No. 1), or is not on board with the idea of fighting against the country of their ancestors.  Thomas Paine compares the way England was treating the colonies with that of slavery and tyranny.  "Britain, with an army to enforce her tyranny, has declared that she has a right (not only to tax) but to 'bind us in all cases whatsoever'."  Paine is trying to explain that England really had no right to claim any superiority over any of the colonies, or America as a whole.  At this point in time, the colonists had been in America for around two-hundred years.  Until England started to get in other wars with difference countries, they literally paid no attention to anything going on in America.  This was called Salutary Neglect.  When England got out of the Seven Years War, they were heavily in debt.  The taxes, as well as the complete control over their trading of imports and exports, were used as revenue to help pay England's massive debt.  Because of this, Thomas Paine supports his opinions that a war for their independence would be extremely beneficial.

Reflection- Declaration of Independence

When reading the Declaration of Independence, there are a few things that Thomas Jefferson makes a very good point about.  As he does this though, there are several instances when Thomas Jefferson, among others, uses from faulty logic to try to back up his points.  One example of the use of faulty logic in the Declaration of Independence would be using name calling.  "The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these states..."  This statement could be questionable and believed to be faulty logic.  The Declaration of Independence was made to give the rights and freedom to America.  People reading this were supposed to agree and feel like they were a part of the country.  Someone reading the Declaration of Independence who was on the border of agreeing with anything Thomas Jefferson saying might take this to offense; what if they still favored the King of Great Britain?  I know that if someone was saying bad things about a person or a subject that I liked or agreed with, I would immediately get offended and decide two things: I would decide to hate the person, and I would decide to hate anything that they were about, including what they had written.  Thomas Jefferson could definitely have lost some fans by bashing on the King of Great Britain.  That is one of the consequences of using faulty logic; there is a very good possibility that someone will recognize it and choose to disagree with you.  The chances of that person going around and spreading their negative opinions about your ideas are very, very, very great.  I do not know if Thomas Jefferson knew this risk, but he obviously did not care and just wanted to get a strong point across to the crowd he was aiming his information at.  In the end, though, I feel like Thomas Jefferson made his point across in the Declaration of Independence.  His use of faulty logic did not effect enough people for his document and information to be totally wrong.  His only problem was sprinkling his own personal opinions into what he was writing.  As long as some people agree with his opinions, then he was successful in spreading the word in the Declaration of Independence.  As I think about this topic of the use of faulty logic, I am sure that there are many other uses of faulty logic in many more important documents.  Who even takes the time the read these documents and analyze them enough to realize that they may or many not contain faulty logic?  I do not mean to sound like I am getting heated, but these are the questions that go through my mind as I read these documents and write these blogs.  In my opinion, I do not think that faulty logic is bad all of the time.  Sometimes it is nice to have some outside opinions.  If you do not understand the topic, maybe the way someone thinks about it may help you understand.  I don't even know what I'm saying anymore.