An Essay on Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography

AN ESSAY ON BENJAMIN FRANKLIN'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY

In his autobiography, Benjamin Franklin wrote often of his constant desire for self-improvement and of the actions he took in order to satisfy the demands he placed upon himself. At an early age, he acquired a love of reading and of discourse that led to the development of the excellent communications skills he relied upon as an adult. Building upon his acquired knowledge and love of philosophy, Franklin undertook the formation of a plan toward moral perfection which led him to regularly judge his own actions and adjust his behavior accordingly. Eventually, in his pursuit of moral perfection, he reached a point at which he concluded that benevolence and the betterment of mankind were manifestations of a man's virtue, and therefore, "whoever attempts this aright, and is well qualified, can not fail of pleasing God, and of meeting with success"(89). The pursuit of success led Franklin in his quest of constant self-improvement.

From an early age, Franklin understood the importance of communication. As an avid reader, he exposed himself to a wide variety of literature that opened his mind to philosophy, science and religion. He kept company with men such as his friend John Collins, who also enjoyed reading, and both engaged in dialogue and debate about issues such the education of females. In the course of the dialogue and in response to his friend's criticisms, Franklin realized his communications shortcomings. To correct the deficiencies, he began to paraphrase articles in a way that would improve his organization of thought, help him to convey ideas more efficiently and concisely and lead to the development of a more expansive vocabulary (14). It was this ability to reason and communicate that led Franklin to success as an adult in both the business world and as a political leader.

Throughout his adult life, Franklin used his communications ability to gain employment and personal relationships that worked to his advantage. He understood the importance of reason,

reading and writing. He also understood that each person he met along the way provided him with opportunities to advance his career and personal ambitions. Therefore, he maintained cordial relations with them and often accepted employment from them in order to build his reputation and to earn money along the way. Franklin used his friendship with Captain French to his advantage on the trip to England in 1724. Upon boarding the boat, Franklin and his friend were directed to steerage and "none on board knowing us, were considered as ordinary persons" (37). Being acknowledged by Colonel French, the men were relocated to better accommodations. On that same journey, Franklin formed a genuine friendship with Mr. Denham that led to Franklin's employment and ended with Denham's death and a small "a small legacy in a nuncupative will, as a token of his kindness for me" (48). While Franklin was an opportunist in some of the relationships he formed such as those with businessmen like Keimer and Governor Keith, some were genuine.

As a result of his breadth of knowledge, access to and the ability to run a printing press, and his personal connections, Franklin was able to effect change on those around him while turning a profit. After debating the issue of paper money at a Junto meeting, Franklin was possessed to anonymously publish a pamphlet called, "The Nature and Necessity of a Paper Currency". This led to the eventual printing of paper currency for which Franklin got the lucrative contract from his friends. According to Franklin, "This was another advantage gain'd by being able to write" (61). Other opportunities included the profitable acquisition of Keimer's newspaper (58) and the publishing of proverbs, wisdom and instruction in "Poor Richard's Almanac" (91).

It was Franklin's desire to reach moral perfection. He wrote, "I wish'd to live without committing any fault at any time; I would conquer all that either natural inclination, custom, or company might lead me into" (77). Therefore, he devised a plan that provided a framework that identified the virtues he wished to master, the qualities of those virtues and a chart on which to keep track of progress. In the pursuit of perfection, Franklin committed himself to a rigid