The flaws of human and benjamin franklins belief in achieving moral perfection

I dont know if I suppose to post the comparison of the Puritans and Franklin on here or not, so here it is: American Dream Many people have come to this country in search of the American dream, but what is the American dream? It means different things to different people.

Much of her recent work applies evolutionary theory to imaginative representations of human experience—in fiction by Sherwood Anderson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Zora Neale Hurston, for example.

ALL ABOUT THE BENJAMINS: THE NINETEENTH CENTURY CHARACTER ASSASSINATION OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN by CHARLES ROBERT DIXON A DISSERTATION Submitted in . When the other set out to achieve moral perfection. for it was none other than the "true grace and real holiness" of converted saints.. "The Puritan Ethic and Benjamin Franklin," The Journal of Religion Greece and Rome was read and interpreted in terms of the respective virtue of each people. that he had little success achieving the. When Franklin first devised his project to attain moral perfection, he thought it would be difficult but possible to become perfect. In The Autobiography, Franklin believes that he can become a better person. What does this belief tell you about how he sees himself? The Autobiography of Ben Franklin, Benjamin Franklin-Autobiography and.

She is the author of Border Lines: Evolutionary Biological Issues in her Fiction April 29, Abstract Working from the assumption that wealth and status are goals motivating much human striving, Franklin insists that these evolutionarily critical objectives can be achieved only in a cultural context.

He details his shrewd exploitation of prevailing environmental conditions, demonstrating the crucial importance of cooperative strategies in building both wealth and reputation: His confidence in the efficacy of cooperation reflects his benign conviction that self-interest and community interest inevitably coincide.

It is the story of an individual, rooted in a specific time and place, wrestling with universal human problems. Though very much a man of his own time, Franklin convincingly presents himself as a man for all times.

His extraordinary career depends on his ability to assess his eighteenth-century colonial environment perceptively, responding in a canny way to its expectations and opportunities. Though focusing thus on his own individual interests, he demonstrates that his individual goals can be achieved only within the framework of a human community.

In his optimistically prosocial model of human life, then, distinctions between selfishness and altruism tend to blur. As he presents himself—and in this respect it is impossible to disagree with him—Franklin is a highly effective social animal. Indeed, autobiography exercises a special fascination precisely because it offers more than description: It would be possible to undertake biosocial examination of his life as lived, with results almost certainly different, at least in some respects, from those that emerge from this examination of his life as written.

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Indeed, most twentieth-century discussions of the Autobiography note factual inconsistencies between the life and the book. The discussion that follows treats the Autobiography as a product of conscious design and interpretative intent: Never denigrating, disguising or disowning his ambitions, Franklin expends no energy on self-justification.

He does not pretend, for instance, that the wealth and status he achieves are unsought, or mere by-products of intellectual, ethical, or spiritual questing; he presents them, rather, as deliberately formulated and unquestionably worthy ends. The adaptive value of material prosperity and social status has been demonstrated repeatedly by sociological and anthropological research Buss Resources are obviously an essential component in the successful rearing of human offspring, who undergo a long period of dependency and require instruction in a host of skills, often complex, that will enable them to survive in their physical and social worlds.

In consequence, as David M. Because access to goods and services depends to a considerable extent upon status, furthermore, a quest for dominance tends to go hand-in-hand with efforts to accumulate wealth.

Such men are likely to exercise economic control in their social groups and thus prove able to provision offspring and long-term mates exceptionally well.

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Because it has been selected for throughout human evolutionary history, the inclination to acquire resources and achieve status exerts a powerful effect on human behavior even in the absence of conscious thinking about the likely pay-off in terms of fitness. This remains true whether or not he articulates the ultimate evolutionary function of his objectives.

In taking for granted their universal desirability, moreover, he evinces awareness of their fundamental importance in human endeavors.

He acknowledges the centrality of genetic continuity indirectly by formulating his autobiography at the outset as a letter to his son. He devotes several pages of his book to family history, attempting to define himself and his descendents in the context of preceding generations.

Other references to family, scattered throughout the narrative, subtly reinforce the importance of kinship. Franklin expresses grief at the loss of a young son to smallpox, for instance, and he makes use of the occasion to offer advice about inoculation to other parents: In helping a young relative to prosper in life, he helps himself—by maximizing his own inclusive fitness: Again he illustrates his implicit recognition of the biological underpinnings of human striving.

Numerous anecdotes illustrate his willingness to work hard and to minimize expenses in order to achieve financial security. At the same time he underscores the importance of long-range planning. Industrious and thrifty habits help him to achieve prosperity because at every point in his life he has clearly identified goals: Over time his goals expand in a variety of directions: Franklin offers evidence that his high level of skill as press-man, compositor, and supervisor is a key ingredient in his rapid rise to proprietorship of his own printing-house.

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Later, well-orchestrated exhibitions of competence bring in profitable jobs and increase demand for his services. His carefully honed skills as a writer likewise contribute to his rapid rise to prosperity, most importantly by ensuring the popularity of his newspaper and almanac.

In sum, Franklin harnesses exceptional skills, diligent work habits, and a thrifty lifestyle to high aspirations and sound planning.Lessons in Manliness: Benjamin Franklin’s Pursuit of the Virtuous Life This is the post that kicked off the series.

In it we discussed Benjamin Franklin’s goal of moral perfection and how he set about attaining it through living his 13 virtues. Start studying Age of Reason, Ben Franklin, Poor Richard's Almanac etc..

Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Port Manteaux churns out silly new words when you feed it an idea or two. Enter a word (or two) above and you'll get back a bunch of portmanteaux created by jamming together words that are conceptually related to your inputs..

For example, enter "giraffe" and you'll get . When the other set out to achieve moral perfection.

Blog Post 3: Franklin, The Key to His Sucess is… | Engsection14W

for it was none other than the "true grace and real holiness" of converted saints.. "The Puritan Ethic and Benjamin Franklin," The Journal of Religion Greece and Rome was read and interpreted in terms of the respective virtue of each people.

that he had little success achieving the. Benjamin Franklin came up with the idea to make his life better by trying to be perfect in every way.

This can otherwise be known as trying to reach a state of moral perfection, in which one could find themselves being happy with the life they live, and also living a pure, sinless life. Intensely human, yet majestic in its moral vision, Black Rock White City is an essential story of Australia’s suburbs now, of displacement and immediate threat, and the unexpected responses of two refugees as they try to reclaim their dreams.