Benjamin Franklin example essay topic

Arguably the very first definition of the quintessential American, Benjamin Franklin: inventor, philosopher, politician, projects an overall character which seems almost flawless as the reader progresses through his written works. Throughout his life Benjamin Franklin created many inspiring works, which evoked numerous theories and philosophies towards an array of subjects and fashioned a new manner in which life should be led. Believed by many to be the most remarkable American in history, Benjamin Franklin created through his own virtues and style, an aura of being a humbly intelligent, self-made, philosophic dignitary amongst his fellow Americans as well as the world. Growing up in an atypical manner, Benjamin Franklin quickly learned the importance of self-reliance. At an early age, Franklin was apprenticed to his Brother, a bookseller.

This gave Franklin the opportunity to further his education on his own terms, "I now had access to better books. An acquaintance with the apprentices of booksellers, enabled me sometimes to borrow a small one... Often I sat up in my room reading the greatest part of the night". (Franklin, The Autobiography p 812). With this educated came a good sense of self-responsibility and the development of an attitude emphasizing hard work and industrialization.

Benjamin Franklin is most commonly known for his inventions but he explored many other practices and aspirations in his spare time. In one of his Thirteen Virtues, Franklin speaks of the importance of time management when he states, "Lose no time. Be always employed in something useful. Cut off all unnecessary actions".

(The Autobiography p 857) Along with these axioms, Benjamin Franklin also expressed his thoughts on money spending. Rumored to have arrived in Philadelphia with only one dollar to his name Franklin quickly went to work managing his money. Franklin lived by and comprised many maxims such as, "Women and wine, Game and Deceit, Make the Wealth small, and the Wants great". ("The Way to Wealth" p 787) into works entitled Poor Richard's Almanac, which to the reader created a vision of Franklin as man of great diligence and intellect. As briefly stated previously Benjamin Franklin took on the role as a philosopher, being described by Voltaire as the American Socrates, and his ideas helped shape the American society. Probably best known to common society is Franklin's Poor Richard's Almanac in which Franklin expresses all his thoughts on an array of aspects concerning everyday life.

These aphorisms were what many Americans lived by and were continuously repeated and used in debate and persuasion. Franklin had a way of writing with a simple style and a clear purpose, his use of short simple quotes with a distinct lesson made his writing understandable and memorable even to the least educated. This made him very popular with the public and revered by many as a man with answers. Another literary effort came in the form of the "Thirteen Virtues" which dealt with matters such as sincerity, temperance, and moderation. These virtues were the very backbone of Franklin's life and ideas.

These works portray Franklin as a man of great clarity and philosophic enlightenment. In everything accomplished by Benjamin Franklin, one theme is central and overwhelmingly apparent. Franklin's intellect and humble wit as well as his rational demeanor place him in a category high standards and great promise. Most notably is Benjamin Franklin's approach to argument, "We therefore had many disputations. I used to work him so with my Socratic method, and had trepanned him so often by questions apparently so distant from any point we had in hand, and yet by degrees led to the point, and brought him difficulties and contradictions that at last he grew ridiculously cautious, and would hardly answer me the most common question".

(The Autobiography p 827) Franklin illustrates his manner of not directly disagreeing but rather an approach of asking questions by which the other party sees fault their own fault in their argument; very ingenious. This accredited to Franklin's success in politics as being in some opinion, the only way to argue with a politician. Franklin points in more detail how he came about this style and the means by which it is used when he states, "And soon after I procured Xenophon's Memorable Things of Socrates, wherein there are many instances of the same method, I was charmed with it, adopted it, dropped my abrupt contradiction, and positive argumentation, and put on the humble enquirer and doubter". He goes on to say "I found this method safest for my self and very embarrassing to those against whom I used I, therefore I took delight in it, practiced it continually and grew very artful and expert if drawing people even of superior knowledge into concessions the consequences of which they did not foresee, entangling them in difficulties out of which they could not extricate themselves, and so obtaining victories that neither my self nor my cause always deserved". (The Autobiography p 814). With this method Franklin becomes a non-threatening opponent, which in turn can be used to manipulate the opposing side into stumbling over their own words.

This approach can only be achieve with rational thinking and control of emotion, both successfully accomplished by Benjamin Franklin. Although not as well known for his many accomplishments outside the inventing class, Benjamin Franklin was the definition of the American dream. Self-made, strong willed, humble intelligent, Ben Franklin's character shines through his writing and is synchronic with the life he led. This possibly being the principal reason his writing was so respected and remembered. As Benjamin Franklin once said, "If you would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead and rotten, either write things worth reading, or do things worth writing.".