Franklin: Virtue and Moral Perfection

Can some man arrive at moral perfection in this life, or is it impossible? Benjamin Franklin was an extremely brilliant and talented individual. He constantly sought ways to improve himself. After he read "The Spectator" he put in a very dedicated effort to imitate their style of writing because he loved how precise the authors wrote out their thoughts. Franklin was also a relatively religious man or at least believed enough to try to be a morally righteous man so that he would avoid his way into hell. Through these beliefs and virtues Franklin created a plan to achieve moral perfection. Although finding the task somewhat more difficult than he first imagined he stayed with his convictions and deduced thirteen virtues to improve upon and follow. These virtues were: order, silence, temperance, resolution, frugality, industry, cleanliness, tranquility, chastity and humility. Now how did he come up with the virtues and what did the virtues consist of? After concocting this ingenious plan towards moral perfection did Franklin ever see it through and reach moral perfection? Benjamin Franklin was raised as a Presbyterian by his parents. Although not completely religious some of the teachings stayed on with him. "I never was without some religious principles; I never doubted, for instance, the existence of the deity, that he made the world, and govern'd it by his providence; that the most acceptable service of God was the doing good to man; that our souls are immortal; and that all crime will be punished and Virtue reworded either here or hereafter; these I esteem'd the essentials of every religion, and being to be found in all the religions we had in out country I respected them all" (BF, p65). Franklin later also goes on to say that he did not go to sermons on Sunday that often because that day was his day to study and relax, but when he did go he noticed that all sermons that he was listening to were rather "dry" as he put it and seemed to focus more on being a good citizen and not a person instead. These two instances in from Franklin show were he was coming from when he decided to create his list of virtues that would lead him to moral perfection. Now that he was focused on his goal he need do dome research on the topic. "In the various enumerations of the moral virtues I had met with in my reading, I found the catalogue more or less numerous, as different writers included more or fewer ideas under the same name. Temperance, for example, was by some confin'd to eating and drinking, while by others it was extended to mean the moderating every other pleasure, appetite, inclination or passion, bodily or mental, even to our avarice and ambition." (BF, p67). This was the problem that Franklin came across in his studies on virtues. This problem also eventually lead him to create a list of what he deemed were the most important virtues that man should strive to improve upon in life to reach moral perfection. The list was much shorter and more specific than anything he read in his studies. The list goes as follows: Temperance (eat not to dullness. Drink not to elation), Silence (speak not but what may benefit others or yourself. Avoid trifling conversation), Order (let all your things have their places. Let each part or your business have its time), Resolution (resolve to perform what you ought. Perform without fail what you resolve), Frugality (make no expense but to do good to others or yourself, waste nothing), Industry (lose no time, be always employed in something useful, cut off all unnecessary actions), Sincerity (use no hurtful deceit, think innocently and justly; and, if you speak; speak accordingly), Justice (wrong none, by doing injuries or omitting the benefits that your duty), Moderation (avoid extremes, forbear resenting injuries so much as you think the deserve), Cleanliness (tolerate no uncleanness in body, clothes or habitation), Tranquility (be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable), Chastity (rarely use venery but for health or offspring; never to dullness, weakness or the injury of your or another's peace or reputation), and lastly Humility (imitate Jesus and Socrates). The last of which was added after some of Franklin's friends informed him that he was too pushy with his abundant knowledge and opinions during conversations. "My intention being to acquire the Habitude of all these virtues, I judg'd it would be well not to distract my attention by attempting the whole at once, but to fix it on one of them at a time, and when I should be master of that, then to proceed to another, and so on till I should have gone thro' the thirteen." (BF, p68). This is how Franklin decided to approach his task of obtaining moral perfection. Thinking it too much to take on all at once; he focused on them one at a time going through the list in the order he wrote it. Temperance, for example, was first because it leads to coolness and clearness of head, which is necessary if one is to stay on guard against faults. Through achieving temperance, silence would come to pass more smoothly than if attempted beforehand.
Franklin sought to learn silence because he eventually found that one can learn more if he listens more than he speaks. He also found that by talking less the conversations and company that he normally engaged in started to become less trifling. So keeping to the list Franklin spent time on each virtue till he deemed it mastered and then moved on to the next, but he found that he needed a way to track his progress and missteps. It was then that he decided to make a small pocket book type calendar to track his progress towards moral perfection. This pocket book was made to contain a full week on each page along with columns for the thirteen virtues, and few choice sayings and prayers to offer encouragement to Franklin. At the end of each day he would reflect on were he made a mistake with any one of the virtues that he was not currently trying to master and make an appropriate black mark in his book. He spent only a week with each virtue finding this to be sufficient time to master one. Although as time wore on he worked on the list less and less due work and travel, but he always carried his little pocket book. Were all his efforts for not? Well, yes and no because he had some trouble with the virtue Order. Order required of him a strict schedule and organized workspace, but his job as a journeyman printer and old habits kept this from being an easy task. With his job as printer, for instance, he had to travel and customers could walk in and ask to talk to him whenever they had the time so it was practically impossible to organize his working schedule. If this was not bad enough Franklin was never into organizing his papers and possessions his entire life. Since he had such a good memory he never felt the need to keep his papers in order to look back at them if he needed. "I think I like a speckled axe best." (BF, p73). Franklin found this to be too much for him and decided to settle on not being able to master the virtue order, so in the end he just fell short of his goal. Yet this did not discourage Franklin for he was made a better and happier man than he would have been. Franklin also realized that it was good not to be perfect because friends would hate and envy him; so it is better to keep a few faults in order to save face. All is well that ends well. This statement best describes Franklin's endeavor into morality. Even though he was not able to accomplish what he set out to do, he still managed to come out a better man because of it, and he learned a few things along the way. Sometimes reaching the end of something is not important, but the journey you took to get there is what really matters. I'll finish with a quote from Franklin's autobiography. "It is …. Necessary for every person who desires to be a wise man, to take particular notice of his own actions, and of his own thoughts and intentions which are the original of his actions; with great care and circumspection; otherwise he can never arrive to that degree of perfection which constitutes the amiable character he aspires after." [BF, p227(Source P, 8: 128)].

Qoutes from "The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin"