Franklins Virtue

When writing the thirteen virtues, Franklin had an idea for them and a purpose that hopefully changed his life and the way that people around him lived. He wrote them so there would be a guideline on how to live a clean life. He made the virtues personal so that he could follow each one carefully and hopefully in the long run, he will have become a better person and his life the right way without any mischief or mistakes (Franklin). The virtues are way more important than just thirteen goals to live by. The goal is if a person live by them, they will become the way of life. Hopefully the virtues can turn life around into something so much more important and meaningful.

The virtues Franklin made are creative and very thought out. Franklin thought the virtues through for many reasons. The virtues were made to fit his needs at the time. It took a long time to think about what virtues he needed to please him and fix his life. However the virtues affect more people than Franklin. He might of thought these virtues could affect other people’s lives. This made the thinking process even more complex. He hoped the system of virtues would help more people want to live a better life and do more things for the good. Franklin knew it would be easy to fall out of following the virtues and ignore the rules. To try to eliminate himself and others from ignoring the virtues he made a systematic approach to the problem.  Franklin created a cycle that could be completed in thirteen weeks and in four times a year (Franklin).  Franklin made a chart that he could follow his progress. He would keep track of all the times he messed up and didn't follow the virtue. He would mark down what he did and then the next day try to do better and not repeat the mistake. Eventually he was able to not follow the system because he had no faults.  “After a while I went thro’ one course only in a year, and afterward only one in several years, till at length I omitted them entirely” (Franklin 88).

Some people really liked and approved the idea of Franklin's virtues and wrote criticisms on the topic. In Henry Tuckerman’s criticism, there is little to no negativity what so ever. He loved the fact that Franklin wanted to live a better life and that Franklin had political power to the colonies. He stated "But while official duty and patriotism gave Franklin occasion to propagate and actualize so many useful and requisite principles,—to become the thinker and advocate,—the incarnated common-sense of his country and his time,—there was another sphere of mental activity, another range of sagacious enterprise, in which he expatiated with kindred success." (Tuckerman) He is stating how Franklin was a very successful man because of these virtues in many ways. He was a smart man and good influence on the people who admired him as a patriotic and political figure. Tuckerman is also saying how his determination and good heart made him and others became a better people and influences on lives around him.

In his critique, he has many good words to say about Franklin. For instance in this passage from the writing, Henry is describing Franklin and the things that Franklin do. "The grand simplicity of his theory, the familiar apparatus by which it was tested, the accuracy of his foresight, and the unpretending spirit with which he received the fame incident to so great a result, form together one of those memorable instances of the conquest of mind over matter, of human intelligence over the secret facts of nature, which add the cognizance of new laws to the domain of knowledge, and brighter names to the catalogue of her immortal disciples.” (Tuckerman). He used many details when describing Franklin and the virtues. This shows his enthusiasm and positive attitude towards the virtues.

Although everyone has their own opinion on Franklin’s thirteen virtues, they helped him and made him a better person.  Everyone should want to make themselves better and after reading Franklin’s virtues and critics that go along with it, the urge to try is harder. Franklin’s virtues can truly help everyone.

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Bloom, Harold, ed. "The Character of Franklin." Benjamin Franklin, Classic Critical Views. New York: C helsea House Publishing, 2008. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=&iPin=C C VBF019&SingleRecord=True (accessed October 25, 2012).

Franklin, Benjamin, Dixon Wecter, Larzer Ziff, and Benjamin Franklin. Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1959. 81+. Print.

Tuckerman, Henry T. "The Character of Franklin." Facts on File. Web. 29 Oct. 2012