Reflection:The Application and Effects of Ben's Virtues

Ben Franklin followed many virtues within his great life time. With his great, responsible, and sophisticated span of morals, Ben Franklin created a list a virtues that could quite possibly help mankind to become better in a whole through the individual standards. These standards or virtues, as he called them, could not just be thrown out into the world and be expected to fair well with the human race.  Ben Franklin first had to test his virtues upon himself. The answer he needed to find was if he had become a better person over time because of the standards he set for his life. We are all allowed to have our own opinion.  It is one of our many rights.  Now, Ben would probably say not to boast our opinion out into the world.  I can tell you simply that I think his list of virtues helped Ben in the long run. I must say, my opinion is pretty insignificant even with great detail and back up for it.  An opinion that is supported by facts, and evidence to a great extent is more reliable, and coming from a more educated mind regarding facts and the life of Ben Franklin, is one that I think someone should take in account along with my opinion.  My opinion alone, means almost didly squat. 


Tuckerman wrote a literary criticism over Ben Franklin and his virtues. Now, I can tell you that this is quite a hefty document and when you get through it, you may start to see that a lot of what Tuckerman is saying and opinionating with facts and proof, essentially, is that he thought that Franklin was a better person through these virtues that he had applied upon himself, Ben Franklin. Upon the first paragraphs of Tuckerman's criticism, we see his opinion shine through.  We start to see him siding with Ben and that his virtues actually helped for a better life.  He believed that Ben was practical.  He noted practicality is very rare for a person of Franklin's knowledge and power of that knowledge to have.  It is also quite grand that Franklin possesses this practicality(Tuckerman 1).  I have noted several times that Ben Franklin tested his virtues upon himself before throwing it out to the world claiming to be such significant material.  You may be wondering how he attempted this.  Franklin applied one of his virtues per week, until he completed all three virtues for a total of 13 weeks.  He completed this cycle three times through, each time from the beginning, for a time span of one year (Franklin 154).


"If we compare the life of Franklin, as a whole, with that of other renowned philosophers, we find that the isolated self-devotion, the egotism and vanity, which too often derogate from the interest and dignity of their characters as men, do not mar the unity of the tranquil, honest, and benign disposition which lends a gracious charm to the American philosopher(Tuckerman 1)."

We see Tuckerman's opinion of Ben Franklin is quite high.  His opinion, though, is backed up by facts, proof, and pure knowledge of Franklin.  Could it be biased, yes.  But, anything could.  

Franklin, Benjamin, and Leonard Woods Labaree. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. New Haven: Yale UP, 1964. Print.

Bloom, Harold, ed. "The Character of Franklin." Benjamin Franklin, Classic Critical Views. New York: Chelsea House Publishing, 2008.Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= CCVBF019&SingleRecord=True (accessed October 30, 2011).