1
Robbert van Vuuren
3535010
Ridderspoor 3
4143GK Leerdam
BA Thesis English Language and Culture, Utrecht University
Derek Rubin
American English
7109 Words
May 2012
Criticizing and Supporting Responses to Franklin’s 13 Virtues
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Table of Contents
1. Introduction
page 3
2. Franklin’s 13 Virtues
page 5
3. Responses from Critical Writers
page 7
3.1 Mark Twain’s Response
page 7
3.2 F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Response
page 9
3.3 W.H Auden’s Response
page 11
3.4 D.H Lawrence’s Response
page 13
3.5 Discussion of the Critical Responses
page 14
4. Responses from Supporting Writers
page 15
4.1 Walter Isaacson’s Response
page 17
4.2 Mark Bowser’s Response
page 19
4.3 David Brooks’ Response
page 20
4.4 Discussion of the Supporting Responses
page 22
5. Conclusion
page 22
6. Works Cited
page 24
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1. Introduction
Benjamin Franklin is a compelling American figure and he played an important role in
American history. In the Netherlands he is sometimes portrayed as the man who investigated
lightning with his kite, pointing to Franklin’s aspirations as an inventor. However, the
political and literary aspects of his career are also considered to be very important. While it is
unquestionable that Franklin influenced American history and culture in general through his
political ideals the discussion that Franklin has raised through his literary work is also
substantial. One of his most famous works is his autobiography, which today is still read by
American school children and students because The Autobiography sheds light on Franklin’s
life and philosophy. It does not only contain his life story but several of his philosophical
ideas as well.
In The Autobiography Franklin mentions 13 virtues that he composed for himself
when he was a young man. These virtues were supposed to put him on the path to moral
perfection and he would try to focus on a different virtue each week. In The Autobiography
Franklin testifies that while he was unable to adhere to the virtues most of the time he felt that
the attempt alone had made him a better person. The book consists out of personal letters and
memoirs that he carried around with him always and was published only after his death. The
Autobiography is divided into four parts. The second part, is a letter that Franklin wrote in
which he describes his bold plan to achieve moral greatness. This part of The Autobiography,
as well as the other parts, has become an important literary piece that has been widely
discussed and investigated. The 13 virtues are an important part of The Autobiography and are
connected to many discussions regarding the work in general. Attention to this discussion was
raised by a vicious attack on the virtues by the novelist and poet D.H Lawrence, who
completely rejected Franklin’s system and philosophy. Aside from Lawrence there were more
writers who responded to Franklin’s ideas. Throughout the 19th and the 20th century several
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writers responded, either through direct essays or through allusions in their writing. In
addition to D.H Lawrence, Mark Twain, W.H Auden and F. Scott Fitzgerald have also
responded.
Aside from the mentioned writers several writers from other branches have also shared
their thoughts on the virtues. Walter Isaacson, writer of a biography regarding Franklin and
editor of the editorial magazine TIME, has written an article about Franklin’s virtues. David
Brooks, a journalist, refers to the virtues in his book on the American upper class and finally
Mark Bowser, CEO of Empowering Enterprises inc., also has written an article about the
virtues. While some of these writers do not enjoy an extraordinary amount of fame like the
earlier mentioned writers do give insight into other aspects of Franklin’s virtues. The reason
for the choice of these particular writers is that, today, only scholars are investigating the
virtues and often from an analytical perspective that tries to discover Franklin’s intentions.
The difference is that the writings that have been selected for the analysis in this paper are
personal opinions and not necessarily focus on the question what Franklin wanted with his
virtues but more on the actual outcomes or uses for the virtues today.
This paper will investigate the different responses to the virtues composed by Franklin
in The Autobiography. This research might be able to provide new insights on this subject
because while the reactions from W.H Auden and Mark Twain are well known there is little
research dedicated to comparing the different ideas that were raised by the virtues. This thesis
will begin with a short analysis of the virtues from The Autobiography in which the various
virtues will be described and Franklin’s specific choice for each virtue in the list will be
explained. Furthermore, the reactions of the novelists and poets will be described and
discussed as well as the literary works, such as The Great Gatsby and New Year Letter created
by these F. Scott Fitzgerald and W.H Auden that might be possibly related to the virtues of
Franklin. This analysis will aim to show the distinction between the two writer groups. The
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first group of authors, that exist out of novelists and poets, has negative connotations on
Franklin’s virtues while the works of the second group show admiration for the philosophy of
a virtuous life. All the ideas will be summarized and explained in order to see the difference
in interpretation between the responses from the writers.
2. Franklin’s 13 Virtues
To investigate the opinions on Franklin’s virtues it is important to understand the virtues and
how they were imagined by Franklin. This section will discuss the particular virtues that
Franklin added to his list as well as the inspirational process behind them.
Virtue is an understanding that can be related to religion. However, Franklin only
rarely attended public religious meetings. Rather than appeasing God through conventional
methods he created his own personal project of moral improvement. The origin of the idea is
found in Franklin’s aspiration “to live without committing any Fault at any time” (427).
However, he soon discovered that this task would be extremely difficult and this led to the
conclusion that “the mere speculative Conviction that it was our Interest to be completely
virtuous, was not sufficient to prevent our Slipping” (428). To prevent this, he came to the
conclusion, that it would not be productive to work on all the virtues simultaneously. Instead,
he would work on a single virtue each week. Franklin fully acknowledges that he would not
be able to complete this process and that he did not always follow his own rules, but he
believed that the mere attempt already had set a process of self-improvement in motion.
Franklin explains how he encountered various virtues in his reading but he believed
that those writings were unclear as these writers “included more or fewer Ideas under the
same Name” (428). In other words, Franklin thought that the current descriptions of virtue
were inadequate. According to Franklin this would lead to confusion among those trying to
improve their lifestyle as they would not know what was allowed or not. He wanted to clarify
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his ideas by providing short definitions that would accompany the virtues on his list. This
precept would allow Franklin to explain his intention for each virtue, as follows:
1. TEMPERANCE. Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.
2. SILENCE. Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling
conversation.
3. ORDER. Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have
its time.
4. RESOLUTION. Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you
resolve.
5. FRUGALITY. Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste
nothing.
6. INDUSTRY. Lose no time; be always employ’d in something useful; cut off all
unnecessary actions.
7. SINCERITY. Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak,
speak accordingly.
8. JUSTICE. Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your
duty.
9. MODERATION. Avoid extreams; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think
they deserve.
10. CLEANLINESS. Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, cloaths, or habitation.
11. TRANQUILLITY. Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or
unavoidable.
12. CHASTITY. Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dulness,
weakness, or the injury of your own or another’s peace or reputation.
13. HUMILITY. Imitate Jesus and Socrates. – (428-429, Heath Anthology)
The virtues appear to be secular. Franklin himself was a religious man but he was not
connected to any organized religion. He believed that if man tried to improve himself then
God would be pleased. Franklin did not want to add anything that would give an organized
religion reason to reject his list or ideas. He believed that this project required “the whole of
Man to execute” (433). Logically, Franklin hoped that later generations would also adhere to
the virtues. According to Franklin it was in everyone’s interest to “enforce this Doctrine”
(433) as it would prevent “vicious Actions” (433). This was linked to the idea that “vicious
Actions are not hurtful because they are forbidden, but forbidden because they are hurtful”
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(433). Upon reading this fragment of The Autobiography it becomes clear that Franklin
believed in the importance of this process and acknowledged the 13 virtues as an important
part of his legacy.
3. Responses from Criticizing Writers
This section will discuss four responses to Franklin’s virtues. These responses come from four
different writers and the main goal of this analysis is to show that all the authors had negative
opinions regarding Franklin’s virtues. In this comparison there are two fiction writers: Mark
Twain and F. Scott Fitzgerald. There is a poet, W.H Auden and there is the combined novelist
and poet D.H Lawrence. These writers all responded to Franklin’s ideas. Their opinion is
interesting as all of these writers can be considered to be influential. Every writer also used a
different format to give their response. This led to four very different kind of texts that share a
common purpose. The responses from Twain and Lawrence were essays regarding Franklin’s
virtues but Fitzgerald and Auden’s responses are found hidden in their respective novel and
poem. This comparison will show that the responses are different in nature but the opinions
are very similar. The time span of the responses is roughly one century as Twain’s response
was published in 1870 and Lawrence’s response in 1970. For clarity purposes the four texts
are divided into separate essays that each discuss a single text and analyze the opinion.
3.1 Mark Twain’s Response to the Virtues
Mark Twain wrote his response to the virtues of The Autobiography in 1870 as an essay that
appeared in a magazine called: The Galaxy. It is a short essay that links Franklin’s virtues to
Twain’s youth. Throughout the text it becomes clear that the American writer disapproves of
the way of how Franklin is perceived in American culture. Although Twain has no desire to
deny the “notable things” (139) that Franklin did for the United States he wanted to disprove
the notion that when children abided by the virtues they would eventually turn out similar to
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Franklin. This was experienced by Twain in first hand when his father tried to apply the virtue
list and the idea of self-improvement to him. Twain argues that the youth should have more
freedom as this will give them the possibility to follow their own path. He believes that the
virtues and certain aspects of Franklin are idolized. First of all, he sees the virtues as obvious
truths that serve no real purpose. In addition, he shows some of Franklin’s unsuccessful ideas
to prove that he was not flawless.
Twain complains about the general perception of Franklin among Americans how “his
simplest acts were contrived with a view to their being held up for the emulation of boys
forever--boys who might otherwise have been happy” (138). Throughout the text it becomes
clear that Twain believes that it is ill-advised for parents to expect their sons to appeal to
Franklin’s virtues. He refers to the virtues of Franklin as “maxims”. It is interesting that
Twain uses this term, which is more negative. While the change of term may seem
insignificant it gives insight to Twain’s attitude on the virtues.
Twain goes on to say that the virtues are nothing more than tools for parents to control
their children. Furthermore, he questions some of Franklin’s accomplishments. “He was
always proud of telling how he entered Philadelphia, for the first time, with nothing in the
world but two shillings in his pocket and four rolls of bread under his arm. But really, when
you come to examine it critically, it was nothing. Anybody could have done it” (139). Twain
also seeks to prove the inadequacy of some of Franklin’s ideas. He does this by mentioning a
letter that Franklin wrote to General Charles Lee, in which he suggested that the soldiers,
fighting for American independence, would be more capable of fighting with bow and arrow
rather than the accustomed gunpowder weapons. Franklin’s idea was not accepted because
the operating of fire weapons required less skill and practice. He also comments on Franklin’s
inventions, particularly Franklin’s stove. “He invented a stove that would smoke your head
off in four hours by the clock. One can see the almost devilish satisfaction he took in it, by his
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giving it his name” (139). Twain’s reputation as a humorist also comes forward in this
comment, which appears to be more of a joke rather than an actual supportive argument.
However, the significance of these comments is that they undermine Franklin’s
accomplishments and show that not all his ideas were flawless.
In conclusion, it becomes clear that Twain’s opinion of the virtues is negative. He
seeks to go against the general opinion that Franklin is supposed to be an example for the
American youth. He shows that not all of Franklin’s ideas were brilliant and this goes for the
virtues as well. Franklin’s self-improvement philosophy should not simply be applied to every
American child. However, Twain’s notorious reputation as a humorist should also be
considered when looking at this particular essay. Throughout the essay Twain gives humorous
descriptions of Franklin and his ideas. It applies a sense of humor to the essay but the
argument remains. The arguments that Twain provides seriously show his concern for this
development.
3.2 F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Response to the Virtues
The response by the American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald is found in his most famous novel,
The Great Gatsby, which shows many similarities to Franklin’s life and his ideas. Much like
Franklin the main character of the story also is a self-made man. However, the most important
feature for this comparison is the moral resolutions made by Jay Gatsby, one of the
protagonists of the story. According to the critic Floyd C. Watkins: “Most of the resolutions
of Fitzgerald's hero can be traced either to Franklin's own schedule or to his list of 13 virtues”
(118). The schedule which Watkins refers to is the daily routine that Franklin describes in his
autobiography. Through this comparison Fitzgerald shows that he has a negative opinion on
Franklin’s virtues because even though Gatsby has initial success when he tries to adhere to
the virtues he remains unhappy and after his death at the end of the novel hardly anyone can
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be bothered to even come to his funeral. As Gatsby stands as a metaphor for the United States
Fitzgerald points out that following the virtues on a national scale might also lead to
destruction indicating that Fitzgerald is opposing the virtues.
Gatsby’ habits make him very similar to Franklin. Near the end of The Great Gatsby a
book belonging to Gatsby is found by his father after he was murdered. Gatsby’s father goes
on to speak of his son to Nick Carraway, the narrator of the story. “Look here, this is a book
he had when he was a boy. It just shows you” (180). The book that is mentioned is a notebook
that contained a list of personal virtues of Gatsby. The passage is very similar to the one in
The Autobiography as it not only has a list of virtues but also a list of tasks for that day.
Fitzgerald was clearly pointing towards the exact same habit Franklin had as he also started
writing in his personal notebook at a young age, entirely similar to Gatsby. The comparison is
fully completed by the accompanied text of Gatsby’s general resolves. Gatsby’s father talks
about his deceased son. “Do you notice what he’s got about improving his mind? He was
always great for that” (118). Improvement of one-self is a key theme for Franklin as well and
the father testifies here that this also was the case for his son.
Gatsby not only stands for Franklin but for the United States as a whole. According to
the scholar Theresa Kulbaga, “Gatsby is America because he embodies the American dream
and the idea that one can simply successfully reinvent oneself”. As a young boy, Gatsby was
indeed trying to improve himself at the hands of Franklin’s virtue and self-improvement
system. At first it seems that Gatsby will be successful as he indeed claims a wealth and
extravagant life. This can be observed as Fitzgerald partially agreeing to the idea of the
virtue’s being successful. Jay Gatsby enjoyed wealth and gave extravagant parties. However,
it is common knowledge that Gatsby demise is short at hand in the novel. He is unable to
regain his lost love, Daisy Buchanan, who is now married to another man. Gatsby’s quest to
win back Daisy turns into a complicated series of misunderstandings after which a man
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named George Wilson believes that Gatsby is responsible for his wife’s death. Wilson
murders Gatsby and commits suicide afterwards. In the aftermath of the story when Gatsby’s
funeral is arranged it appears that almost nobody wants to attend. The story shows that even
though someone can abide by the virtues it is not enough to attain happiness and the past
cannot be erased. Fitzgerald feared the possible dangers of the idolization of moral selfimprovement and he used The Great Gatsby as a simulator for what could be the possibilities
of Americans deciding to pursue happiness with Franklin’s devices, the virtues are simply not
enough.
In conclusion, portraying a character in the twenties according to Franklin’s habits
show that Fitzgerald was greatly interested in Franklin and his ideas. He clearly studied The
Autobiography and thought about the potential of any American pursuing Franklin’s moral
perfection mechanism. The book also shows the possible downside of this as Gatsby did try
to improve himself but is was of no avail. He was unable to regain his lost love and he was
murdered in the process. The retrospect showed that he had no real friends and the virtues had
definitely not sustained him. When the idea that Gatsby was a symbol for the United States is
taken into the equation Fitzgerald truly believed that following the virtues was not the best
path for his nation. The idea of individualism and the virtues are not flawless and cannot be
executed by everyone without repercussions.
3.3 W.H Auden’s Response to the Virtues
The response from W.H Auden is found in a poem devoted Franklin, without mentioning his
name. In 1940, W.H Auden wrote a poem that expressed his concerns of the rise of the
“economic man”. This poem was published in part three of New Year Letter. The economic
man that is described can be linked to Franklin. It is plausible that Auden had Franklin in
mind when he wrote this poem. The poem focuses on Franklin and the virtues and shows that
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Auden had a negative opinion regarding the virtues. Firstly, the opening lines in the poem
describe the creation of Franklin. Secondly, the poem expresses the finer qualities of Franklin
and finally, the ending of the poem shows Auden’s worries of Franklin and his creations.
The poem starts off with a description of Franklin. Auden refers to him as an
“Economic Man” (184). The first lines that describe horror and artillery relate to the War of
Independence in which Franklin played an important role as he, among others, ultimately
signed the Declaration of Independence. In line 5 the poem speaks of “Luther’s faith and
Montaigne’s doubt”. According to the critic McCloskey, Max Weber had already referred to
Franklin as a “secularized Calvinist” and in that perspective line 5 can be explained. Luther’s
faith stands for the “Calvinist” part and Montaigne, a profound humanist, stands for the
“secularized” part. This seems as an illogical combination but it refers to Franklin’s rejection
of puritan beliefs, even though he did believe in God, and of course his aspirations as a
humanist. Something to which the virtue system can also be accounted to. This indicates that
the first lines of the poem definitely point towards Franklin but Auden’s personal perception
of Franklin and the virtues remains uncertain and only comes forward in the later parts of the
poem.
The following lines of the poem provide more evidence that the subject is Franklin and
are an expression of admiration to Franklin’s finer qualities. It cannot be denied that Franklin
was indeed “urban, prudent and inventive.” (184) At least, that is how he is perceived in
American culture today. The poem continues about the “profit of his rational incentive” (184)
and indeed, rationality was the catalyst for Franklin’s moral project when he decided that is
was logical for anyone to strive always to moral perfection. Rationality also provided the
reasoning that it is not a necessity to actually accomplish your goal but merely trying to do so
already is an improvement. He profited from this as well as his philosophy became well
known and he remains a famous American figure. “The individual let loose” (184) comments
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on the moral aspirations as Franklin’s virtue’s and philosophy give a strong sense of
responsibility and individualism. Franklin wanted to give every American the opportunity to
improve themselves and this gave them more freedom. In the first part of the poem W.H
Auden seems to have a neutral perspective on Franklin and his ideas of moral improvement
but it seems that Auden connected individualism to Franklin.
In the second half of the poem the tone appears to shift towards a negative viewpoint.
“To starve or be forgotten, free” (184) this already takes on a sinister side of Franklin’s idea’s.
This sentence could relate to criticism on the ideology of capitalism that is often connected to
Franklin and his shopkeeper values. Capitalism provides freedom but creates the risk of
starvation or to be lost in history if your wealth has diminished. Neither happened to Franklin
but it is a possible explanation for those that want to use his philosophy today. Furthermore,
the poem becomes clearer in the subsequent lines in which Auden speaks of “splendid
isolation” (184) which could refer to Franklin’s odd habits and the confinement that Franklin
put himself in when he was studying. Another explanation is that Auden was trying to point to
a more arrogant side of Franklin. The line afterwards does not give much room for
speculation “drive himself about creation” (184). This points towards the idea that Franklin
always was working, let it be technological or cultural, on some new idea. He was an inventor
in the technological sense but also in culture as he provided new ideas. For example his
philosophies on self-improvement. The final line “In the closed cab of Occupation” (184) is
more difficult to interpret. It is interesting that “Occupation” (184) is capitalized which shows
that he used that term heavily. It seems that Auden fears occupation by this “economic man”
and possibly capitalism but the exact worries remain unclear.
In conclusion, This particular poem is about Franklin and his philosophies. Auden
acknowledges Franklin’s aspirations to individualism and his finer qualities as an inventor but
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also worries that the creation of this “economic man” (184) will provide social difficulties if
individualism and the ideas of self-improvement would be implanted in society.
3.4 D.H Lawrence’s Response to the Virtues
The response to Franklin’s virtues from D.H Lawrence is found in the book: Studies in
Classic American Literature. For his study he also examined The Autobiography .
Particularly, he focused on the virtues created by Franklin, and it becomes clear that D.H
Lawrence has a negative opinion on the virtues. Firstly, he is unimpressed with Franklin. He
also disagrees with the virtue system as believes that it is trying turn mankind into a moral
machines. In addition, Lawrence created his own list of virtues to counter those of Franklin.
D.H Lawrence is not impressed by Franklin and some of his achievements. However,
Lawrence does show admiration for Franklin accompanied with a sarcastic remark: “I admire
him. I admire his sturdy course first of all, then his sagacity, then his glimpsing into the
thunders of electricity, then his common-sense of humour” (10). Immediately afterwards he
goes on to state that he does not like Franklin personally. Lawrence accuses Franklin of
making a “moral machine” (13) out of man when Lawrence believes that man should rather
be seen as a “moral animal” (13). Lawrence means that the darker sides of humanity should
not be oppressed, to a certain degree. The mechanism that Franklin is trying to construct is,
according to Lawrence, not able to improve the moral standards overall as a virtuous life
cannot be enforced.
Lawrence also creates his own list of virtues, identical to Franklin’s, but with a
different motivation For instance, Franklin describes the virtue of silence as follows: “Speak
not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.” (428). Lawrence
underlines his idea of the virtue of silence with “Be still when you have nothing to say; when
genuine passion moves you, say what you’ve got to say, and say it hot.” (14). This example
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portrays the difference in insights. Franklin wants to main structure and order while Lawrence
wants human chaos, in which passion should provide guidance. Another example is found in
the virtue of industry. Franklin describes it as: “Lost no time, be always employed in
something useful; cut off all unnecessary action” (428). As expected, Lawrence counters this
with his own thoughts on the virtue: “Lose no time with ideals; serve the Holy Ghost; never
serve mankind” (15). This line shows the core of Lawrence’s rejection. Lawrence does not
want any individual to serve mankind but with the elevating of the soul the individual is
improved and this relates to humanity as well. It appears that he promotes more freedom in
the lifestyle choices and not so much a cage of virtues.
In conclusion, Lawrence is not impressed with Franklin and his ideas. In order to
counter them he has created his own list that provides more freedom rather than enforced
virtues. Lawrence closes his commentary on The Autobiography with an arguably positive
note. “There’s my list. I have been trying dimly to realize it for a long time, and only America
and old Benjamin have at least goaded me into trying to formulate it” (15). Ironically, it
appears that Franklin put Lawrence on a similar path to moral perfection. However, the core
of Lawrence’s statement appears to be that he fears the repercussions when man is formed
through schematics and so effectively denying their position as a “social animal” (13).
3.5 Discussion of the Critical Responses
After analyzing the responses of the writers there is a strong coherence. The writers are
rejecting Franklin’s philosophy even though they all acknowledge his greatness. Rather than
seeing the virtues as a means to improve their moral status, they see them impeding freedom
in children and citizens. According to Lawrence, people will be made into “moral machines”
and lose their freedom. Twain’s thoughts are similar as he fears that the indoctrination of
Franklin’s philosophy will impede the freedom of American children. Fitzgerald’s concerns
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are less clear but he definitely indicates that using the virtues alone is no guarantee for a
successful living and he uses The Great Gatsby as a warning to America. In the story the
effects of using the virtues are simulated by Fitzgerald and Gatsby’s fate is common
knowledge. Auden’s poem is more concentrated on the ideal of capitalism that may occupy
society. So while the virtue system at first sight could only be seen a good device for a better
life these writers all agree that there will be repercussions. The negative aspects that these
writers put forward are very different but the writers do provide arguments for their
statements. It is surprising that these different writers all showed the same negative opinion on
the virtues through these different texts.
4. Responses from the Supporting Writers
This section will discuss three responses to Franklin’s virtues from various writers. The
primary goal of this section is to analyze their responses in order to show their support of the
virtues. The first of these writers is Walter Isaacson, writer of one of Franklin’s biographies.
At the time of writing his response he was the leading editor of TIME magazine. In an issue
that was devoted to Franklin he wrote the leading article about Franklin’s virtues. The second
writer is Mark Bowser who is CEO at Empowering Enterprises and author of The Three
Pillars of Success. Bowser has written several articles regarding success of companies and
individuals. The third writer is a journalist by the name of David Brooks. As a journalist he
wrote for The New York Times. He has published a book regarding the upper middle class in
the United States. The book is called: Bobos in Paradise: The New Upper Class and How
They Got There and in this book Franklin’s virtues are mentioned. Brooks describes how
these virtues have influenced American society and provides his opinion. All the responses
were published in the 21st century and the three responses are presented in the form of essays
that argue the specific opinion of that author.
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4.1 Isaacson’s Response to the Virtues
Walter Isaacson wrote his response to the virtues in 2003 when he wrote an essay on that was
published in TIME magazine. The essay was named: Citizen Ben’s 7 Great Virtues. Isaacson
argued that Franklin’s virtues are the foundations of American virtues and that Franklin set an
example. First of all, Isaacson sees Franklin as the most accessible founding father. Secondly,
Isaacson claims that critics of the virtues have misunderstood the concept and finally,
Isaacson argues that it is every American’s duty to uphold the virtues.
Isaacson opens the article with nothing but praise for Franklin as Isaacson considered
him to be the only relatable founding father. He refers to him as: “the most remarkable of the
founding fathers” (40). Isaacson goes on by saying that Franklin is the only founding father
that is relatable “as he is made out of flesh, rather than of marble” (41). Isaacson believes that
the other founding fathers appeared intimidating. For example, Washington was a figure of
authority, but that this was not the case for Franklin. Isaacson then goes on to comment on
the various academic fields in which Franklin was active. Isaacson explains that “He was,
during his 84-year life, America’s best scientist, inventor, diplomat, writer and business
strategist” (41). Isaacson creates more of these lists that emphasize his admiration for Franklin
and states that even though he accomplished all this he came from humble beginnings and so
he is an example for every American even though there are critics who disagree.
Isaacson also attempts to argue against some of the critique that Franklin has endured
throughout the years. “Some who see the reflection of Franklin in the world today fret about a
shallowness of soul and a spiritual complacency that seem to permeate a culture of
materialism (42).” Who Isaacson refers to in this sentence is unknown, but the points that are
described relate to the response from D.H Lawrence: “They mistake his genial moral maxims
for the fundamental faiths that motivated his actions” (42). The “fundamental faith” was that
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the virtues on earth would correspond with the virtues of the divine. In other words, living a
virtuous life would be to abide by God’s will. Isaacson no longer mentions the criticism
afterwards but goes on to connect the specific virtues.
Isaacson formed his own list of 7 virtues, based on Franklin’s virtues. He linked
Franklin’s virtues to, according to him, general American principles. It is not an exact copy of
the list in The Autobiography but the general idea remains. Rather than commenting on the
virtues in their original form the virtues are discussed in ways of political execution.
Isaacson’s list of formed of the following virtues: An aversion to tyranny, a free press, humor,
humility, idealism in foreign policy, compromise and tolerance. Only humility exists in the
same form as in the 13 virtues edition of the list. According to Isaacson an aversion to
tyranny is linked to Franklin’s patriotic standpoints. The same goes for the second virtue
which was Franklin’s desire for a free press. With the virtue of tolerance Isaacson argues the
importance upholding of Franklin’s ideas in the future in the future. According to him: “the
great struggle of the 21st century will be between the forces of fanatic fundamentalism and
those of tolerance” (43). He describes the importance of Franklin’s expression of this virtue:
“[i]t is important to remember that America was not born with the virtue of religious
tolerance, but had to acquire it” (44). Franklin was one of the main reasons of America’s
current “religious pluralism” (44) because he did not adhere to any doctrine but he was
faithful to God and it is important that the modern American upholds these virtues in the
future.
Throughout the text it becomes clear that Isaacson sees the virtues as fundamental
American values. Isaacson believes that the critics have wrongfully interpreted Franklin’s
findings. He also is not only promoting the virtues, but he is rather arguing that the virtues are
fundamental aspects of being an American and in the entire text Isaacson praises the virtues
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and Franklin as a person. It can only be concluded that Isaacson is very positive on the subject
of Franklin’s virtues.
4.2 Bowser’s Response to the Virtues
Mark Bowser also wrote a response to the virtues in the form of an article. The article’s title
is: Benjamin Franklin's Thirteen Virtues For a Successful Life! Bowser is convinced the
virtues can be implemented by anyone who wants to be successful. Firstly, he argues this by
saying that Franklin was a champion and by following his ways anyone can achieve success.
Secondly, the virtues can be interpreted in modern situations and finally, the virtues can be
put in biblical context.
In the first sentence he advises his reader to become “champions”. He tells the reader:
“One such champion I think we can learn from is one of the great thinkers, inventors, and
leaders in history Benjamin Franklin” (1). He goes on to describe the project of moral
perfection and that, in Franklin’s experience, it was no necessity to complete this goal but the
journey towards it would reward happiness. Bowser continues by acknowledging the fact that
it can be difficult to maintain the discipline but that “the road to success is never easy” (1).
Anyone who can maintain this amount of discipline is already a champion in his own right.
Bowser goes through the various virtues and links them to themes that are appropriate
for the daily life of the 21st century. For instance, on the virtue of order Bowser compares it to
maintaining office supplies in locations that work for you. It basically comes down not to
waste time on searching for a pencil or a notebook. Bowser simplifies the virtues and makes
them easier to interpret.
Bowser uses quotes from the Bible when explaining certain virtues, effectively linking
them to Christianity. Even though Franklin explicitly stated that he did not link the virtues to
any organized religion. An example of this is the virtue of sincerity, according to Bowser this
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simply means adhering to his “golden rule” (2): “Do for others what you would like them to
do for you. This is a summary of all that is taught in the law and the prophets” (Matthew 7:12
). Giving the virtues this Christian perspective will make them more appealing for Bowser’s
readers it does show the broad possibilities of interpretation.
In conclusion, Bowser thinks that anyone who follows these “champion’s” (1) virtues
will become a champion as well. The virtues have a place in the modern world and can be
viewed in a Christian light. Bowser is supportive of the virtues and recommends them to
anyone.
4.3 Brooks’ Response to the Virtues
David Brooks’ response is found in his book: Bobos in Paradise: The New Upper Class and
How They Got There. Published in 2000 it is a book that describes the arising of the uppermiddle class culture in America today and the developments that have formed it throughout
the decades. In this particular work Brooks refers to Franklin’s virtues. In this fragment
Brooks explains how he sees the upper class as a “merchant class” (63) that relied on
Franklin’s philosophy. In other words, Franklin’s ideas have created the typical upper-middle
class in America. This is due to firstly, the moral elevation that Franklin introduced and the
escape of European aristocracy. In addition, the virtues practical nature made the class shift
more accessible.
Franklin’s virtues introduced a moral elevation process previously unknown. The 13
virtues are described as a way to place ambition in a “sturdy moral framework” (64). Franklin
set the tone for “a plain-talking style of American wisdom” (64). Brooks goes on to describe
how the moral aspirations of Franklin fit the “bobos” in America. They believed in moral
elevation and self-improvement. They were also known as the shopkeeper class which refers
to Franklin’s capitalistic aspirations. Brooks states that the upper-middle class wanted to
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appear above the working class but not as extravagant as the European aristocrats. In other
words, Brooks believes that while Franklin’s writing and virtues would encapsulate the newly
found middle class of bobos. They were the plain Americans that created this new class on
their own. In Franklin’s period, after the independence from the Crown, it was particularly
important to abandon the old ways and create new ones that were typically American.
Brooks also thinks that with the virtues, Franklin “celebrated wholesome ambition”
(63) which made the class shift more possible. However, Brooks also notes that they are not
“heroic virtues” (63). He believes that these virtues were so effective due to their practicality.
In fact, he praises the simplicity because it will make the virtues easier to execute. According
to Brooks, this simplicity helped in the adoption of self-improvement among the bobo society.
With the simple virtues, anyone could implant them in their personal life and combined with
their freedom they could change their class easier than before.
In conclusion, Brooks appreciates the virtues of Franklin because they are solid and
simple to execute. They have helped with the creation of the new American upper “merchant”
class. The virtues allowed new ways of self-improvement that elevated these Americans from
the working class but kept them below the loathed European aristocrats giving the virtues a
place in the development of American culture.
4.4 Discussion of the Supporting Responses
Similarly to the fiction writers and poets, these supporting authors also have a coherence in
their published opinions. The writers promote Franklin’s virtues without exception and
Bowser goes as far to say that the virtues can make anyone a champion. Furthermore, he gives
the virtues modern executions and he links the virtues to the Bible while Franklin believed
that the virtues did not belong to any particular religious group. Isaacson and Brooks discuss
the influence of the virtues on the American society. Isaacson claims that various American
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virtues are deduced from Franklin’s virtues. He also believes that in the near future these
virtues will play a prominent role as they will remind the modern American to these American
values. Brooks sees the virtues as a practical tool that can be used in multiple ways. More
importantly, he believes that the virtues of Franklin was the main reason that the American
shopkeeper class was created. The virtues gave the Americans the possibility to evolve from
their current class while maintaining their American identity. The supporting authors see the
virtues as an important part for the American society and they promote the usage to their
readers.
5. Conclusion
This analysis shows a clear distinction between the origin of the writers from the group that is
critical regarding Franklin’s virtues versus the supporting writers. The first group exists out of
novelist and poets while the latter are journalists and publishers. For these writers, there
appears to be a connection to the type of writer and their opinion of Franklin’s virtues.
The arguments put forward by the two groups are very different. The critical writers
worry about the loss of freedom and the rise of capitalism in society if Franklin’s philosophy
were to be adopted. However, the supporting group feels that these virtues stand for
fundamental American values. It seems that the specific groups looked at the virtues with
other ideas in mind in order to determine their judgment. Although the general opinion on
Franklin’s virtues remains positive and does not appear to be altered by the responses from
the writers there is room for speculation regarding the correctness of these observations when
looking to modern-day America. The most striking element of this research is the unity found
among the writer groups. The discussion that Franklin’s virtues have ignited among authors
gives a degree of insight into what different types of writers believe is most important.
Although more research is required for absolute results, the discussion around
Franklin’s virtues already gives a certain degree of insight into the thought process and
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understanding the thought process would be vital to the idea of self-improvement, something
to which Franklin surely would agree.
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Works Cited
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Brooks, David. Bobos in Paradise: The New Upper Class and How They Got There. New
York: Schuster, 2000. Print.
Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. London: Penguin, 1994. Print.
Franklin, Benjamin. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. New Haven: Yale UP, 2003.
Print.
Franklin, Benjamin. “The Autobiography.” The Heath Anthology of American Literature.
Lauter, Paul. Boston: Wadsworth, 2004. 381-434. Print.
Isaacson, Walter. “Citizen Ben’s 7 Great Virtues.” Time 162.1 (2003): 40-50. Print.
Isaacson, Walter. Benjamin Franklin: An American Life. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2004.
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Kulbaga, Theresa. “Ben Franklin, Jay Gatsby and the Self-Made Man.” Miami University
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Lawrence, D.H. Studies in Classic American Literature. Cambridge: UP, 2002. Print.
Twain, Mark. “The Late Benjamin Franklin.” The Galaxy July. 1870: 138-140. Print.