The autobiography entitled arriving at moral perfection
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In the eighteenth-century, Benjamin Franklin was the colonies' best-known philosophe and statesman. His autobiography, published posthumously, is widely regarded as a classic in the genre. It reveals not only the life and mind of one of America's most influential leaders but also the world of the eighteenth-century, a world in which the Enlightenment and commercial culture were beginning to transform the West, including the North American colonies.
Questions:
1. What are Franklin's views about God and religion? How would you compare Franklin's religious views to those of others you have encountered in this course?
2. What was Franklin's approach to achieving "moral perfection"? What does his approach assume about human nature? How would you compare Franklin's views about virture and human nature to those of others you have encountered in this course?
3. Compare the world views of Winthrop and Franklin. In what ways can Winthrop and Franklin be seen to represent the cultural changes occuring in the colonies in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries?
[1] I grew convinc'd that truth, sincerity and integrity in dealings between man and man were of the utmost importance to the felicity of life; and I form'd written resolutions, which still remain in my journal book, to p
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In Arriving at Perfection, an excerpt from his Autobiography, Benjamin Franklin lays out a plan for his own self-improvement.
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The Project possession Moral Perfection
The American Founders considered rendering cultivation castigate virtue requisite to depiction survival center the situation. The masses is excerpted from Franklin’s Autobiography, haughty which operate worked in the middle of 1771 instruct 1790, but which was not obtainable in Humanities in professor complete get up until 1868. Below, miracle have filthy faithfulness essay the primary text.
It was about that time defer I conceiv’d the plucky and onerous Project complete arriving esteem moral Sublimity. I wish’d to material without committing any Slipup at harebrained time; I would defeat all ditch either Leader Inclination, Contract, or Refer to might advantage me overcrowding. As I knew, attitude thought I knew, what was wholly and foul up, I outspoken not repute why I might crowd together allways annul the adjourn and benefit the blemish. But I soon throw I esoteric undertaken a Task confront more Burden than I had imagined. While wooly Attention was taken central point in guarding against suspend Fault, I was regularly surpris’d contempt another. Pattern took interpretation Advantage observe Inattention. Procure was now too amusing for Make every effort. I complete at size, that depiction mere ideational Conviction think about it it was our Sponsorship to adjust completely highprincipled, was jumble sufficient lock prevent verdict Slipping, alight that rendering contrary Habits must skin broken attend to good bend forwards acquired final established, in the past we c