Benjamin Franklin

"...education, properly undertaken, would transform our lives and set us free from the tyrannies of church and monarchy" (219).

As a (hopefully) future educator, I love this statement. But the important part to me at this time, and for this class, is "...free from the tyrannies of church and monarchy." These two institutions were such a difficulty in Franklin's time for people who thought as he did--those of the Enlightened era. The stringency of Christian beliefs, even while trying to adopt human sympathies into their doctrine, were great. And we have all heard over and over again what colonial life was like under the rule of England. Franklin, and many like him, believed wholeheartedly that only by having an educated population would we be able to overcome such tyranny.

However, while trying to gain freedom from the church, Franklin, in his autobiography, seemed to love and praise God. On page 232, he thanks God and acknowledges Him for all the happiness he has received in his life. And later on he comments on visiting church and then not returning when the sermons lack substance. But he still prays everyday (as known by his part regarding virtues). So it seems like organized religion at that time was disheartening to Franklin. I wonder if he is less a deist than thought. He seems like a Christian, just one who doesn't like his worshiping options at the time. It reminds me of the John Lennon quote, "Jesus was all right but his disciples were thick and ordinary. It's them twisting it that ruins it for me."

A few other things that I liked about Franklin was that he seemed to truly desire goodness, not only in himself but in others also. From having and striving to be virtuous to his desire to publish his Acts of Virtues for the betterment of mankind to consciously changing his speaking style to not offend people to giving fatherly advice in his autobiography to his son. I mean, he even used his parents' gravestone to plead for goodness: "From this Instance, Reader, Be encouraged to Diligence in thy Calling, and distrust not Providence" (236).

One last note on Franklin's writing. I really enjoyed his personality that came through in his autobiography. He makes a few funny comments about his lack of ability in poetry and his pleasure in his ability to make men who knew more than he did look like idiots. (Until he realized it was wrong at least.) And his concluding remark:

"In reality there is perhaps no one of our natural Passions so hard to subdue as Pride. Disguise it, struggle with it, beat it down, stifle it, mortify it as much as one pleases, it is still alive, and will every now and then peep out and show itself. You will see it perhaps often in this History. For even if I could conceive that I had completely overcome it, I should probably be proud of my Humility" (292).