Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)

1. Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) American Literature I 10 /18/2004 Cecilia H. C. Liu

2. The Age Of Reason • Enlightenment thought was, in part, a product of the Scientific Revolution.   There is justification to present the Enlightenment as the Age of Reason because of intellectual advancements that promoted a scientific approach to political, social, and economic issues, because of the development of the concept of human progress, and because of the acceptance of the state as its instrument.  • Newtonian science , seventeenth century empiricism, and enlightened thought are "progressive" steps in the western intellectual tradition fostering the belief in universal order and natural law .

3. Franklin as an Inventor (1) • Franklin has made important discoveries and advancements, and invented the lightning rod. • In colonial America, most people warmed homes by building a fire in a fireplace and Franklin made an invention of an iron furnace stove to allow people warm their homes less dangerously and with less wood. The furnace stove that he invented is called a Franklin stove. Interestingly, Ben also established the first fire company and the first fire insurance company in order to help people live more safely.

4. Franklin as an Inventor (2) • Franklin has figured out routes for delivering the mail, and invented a simple odometer and attached it to his carriage. • Franklin retired from business and public service and wanted to spend his time reading and studying. He found, however, that his old age had made it difficult for him to reach books from the high shelves, called a long arm to reach the high books.

5. Franklin’s Inventions

6. Franklin as an Economist • Ben Franklin's personal ideas about economy helped to shape our country's economy. We are lucky that they did because Franklin believed that the only true way to wealth was through hard work. This noble idea became the soul of the "American Dream," the idea that all people are created equal and each person has the same opportunity to achieve success.

7. Franklin and Deism • Deism is defined in Webster's Encyclopedic Dictionary, 1941, as: "[From Latin Deus, God.Deity] The doctrine or creed of a Deist." And Deist is defined in the same dictionary as: "One who believes in the existence of a God or supreme being but denies revealed religion, basing his belief on the light of nature and reason." • This common sense approach to God and a spiritual philosophy can not only bring a lasting profound sense of peace and happiness to the individual, but it also has the potential to go light years in eradicating religious fear, superstition and violence.

8. Franklin as a Statesman • Benjamin Franklin stands tall among a small group of men we call our Founding Fathers. Ben used his diplomacy skills to serve his fellow countrymen. His role in the American Revolution was not played out on the battlefields like George Washington, but rather in the halls and staterooms of governments. His clear vision of the way things should be, and his skill in both writing and negotiating, helped him to shape the future of the United States of America. • Ben stands alone as the only person to have signed all four of the documents which helped to create the United States: the Declaration of Independence (1776), the Treaty of Alliance, Amity, and Commerce with France (1778), the Treaty of Peace between England, France, and the United States (1782), and the Constitution (1787). He actually helped to write parts of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. No other individual was more involved in the birth of our nation.

9. Questions for Discussion 1 • Read Franklin's 1757 text, "The Way to Wealth." Then, select any three of Poor Richard's maxims, and write "imitations" of them; that is, "plug in" your own words at the appropriate points. Example: for "He that hath a trade, hath an estate," one could write, "She that hath a husband, hath a curse." • Note how Franklin frames "The Way to Wealth." It opens upon Poor Richard, eavesdropping on a village elder, called Father Abraham, who has been asked a question involved with civic matters: "Won't these taxes quite ruin the country?" (page 214/ A 517). But does Father Abraham provide a direct answer to that question? Indeed, does he even speak of civic matters at all? Endlessly quoting Poor Richard, Father Abraham addresses what sphere of human activity? Why? Does he persuade the people? Answer and discuss these questions, in several paragraphs.

10. Questions for Discussion 2 • What does Franklin learn from his sojourn among the English, for example about their habits of work, self-management, and the like? Throughout Part I we see Franklin attaching himself to a series of older, more powerful men. Now, what if we considered this series as the "plot" of Part I? In two or three paragraphs, write a summary of that plot, showing how and why it leaves him on the verge of public projects (the Junto, and the Subscription Library) at the end of Part I.

11. Questions for Discussion 3 • In what instances does Franklin insist that he is chosen, or called, to public service? How are such moments significant? • In what instances, and by what means, does Franklin seek to vigorously persuade, and shape, public opinion? What do these moments teach? • What does Franklin have to say about factions, or parties, in politics; and how does he justify his view of them?

12. References • Enlightenment and Revolution http://idcs0100.lib.iup.edu/modernera/favorite.htm • Deism http://www.deism.com/deism_defined.htm • Benjamin Franklin: Glimpse of the Man http://sln.fi.edu/franklin/ • Benjamin Franklin Reading Assignments:http://www.uky.edu/AS/English/courses/online/eng251/assignment08.htmlhttp://www.uky.edu/AS/English/courses/online/eng251/assignment09.html • http://www.uky.edu/AS/English/courses/online/eng251/assignment10.html