Other than the obvious difference in language, this section
in Franklin’s autobiography might be indistinguishable from a popular issues
debate. Franklin reveals himself
as a proponent of education for women, an increasingly hot topic today, as
women have both caught and surpassed their male counterparts in earning several
types of degrees yearly. Franklin
also holds a stark position on vaccinations, noting that it is an inherent
responsibility of parents to give their children the best ability to avoid disease. His stance on war preparation, the availability
of affordable education, consideration of an educational system without a
predominant religious ownership, and his suggestion for free health care for
the poor all resonate with popular issues in our country today. But rather than labeling him in
contemporary political terms, perhaps it is more useful to look at the root of
these opinions. Are these values
that Franklin holds timeless? Does
the existence of debate on these positions reveal anything about their
worth?
Franklin
often speaks of vanity as an unavoidable consequence of mankind. His autobiography notes every
achievement, and reasonably so. But his opinions on the church and his own
development of a virtuous group are the most interesting. Franklin notes that he usually enjoys
sermons, unless they focus less on virtue and too heavily on the practice of
religion just for the sake of it.
The creation of his own organized “creed of virtue” bears a remarkable
resemblance to the church. He
solicits young men to join such a community and initiates members through his
practice and their devotion. However dangerously close he gets, however,
Franklin impresses me in joining members together to form a non-religious
pursuit of virtue. I believe his
view on religious is a fair one.
His universal method is uncommon, but focuses on the moral instruction
of the conscious in the pursuit of moral perfection.
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