Paper Topic:

Question # 1

Analysis and Method : Benjamin Franklin as the Enlightement 's Prodigy

To Benjamin Franklin , the great inventor , reason is akin to fins for a fish . It 's a huge world around him , and reason is his means for navigating the world . It is both the most convenient tool available , a method of analysing the world (and , importantly , acting upon the analysis ) that , if not infallible , is close to the ideal , and something accessible to anyone who takes the time and effort to learn it and utilize it to his favor . Franklin cherishes reason as

one would any method that has molded one into the personality that he is , should that personality be to one 's likin , and also takes his ability to reason as a matter of some pride , having learnt the method himself . His life is in many ways the triumph of reason , making him a child of the Enlightenment period in spirit

By examining his autobiography , we can see that Franklin is the very definition of self-made man . From an early age , his achievments are his own . Only initially did his father show him how to correct his style . After that , the young man designed new ways for to improve his skills in any areas he thought he lacked in , such as mathematics or writing (Chapt .1 . We cannot help but notice how precisely he does it It is almost a game to him : he combines the possible approaches in various combinations , tests out each and every one of them in practice with the sheer determination of someone who knows it is possible to master these things . At least in his memories he does not sound as if he ever had problems with self-confidence . He analyses each situation breaking it apart methodically , and then pieces it together as he wills as he did with learning eloquence and with mathematics . This is very indicative of the Enlightement , the credo of which became analysis Failures did not stop him , which is also indicative of the Enlightenment . Franklin is an optimist from the beginning , and regards even his own rationality with a sense of humor (Chapt 1 . creature of Reason . The philosophy of the Enlightenment is also essentially optimistic and has a touch of irony , as it is the philosophy which broke down the walls of superstition . It required bravery , faith in the human mind , and a very clear-cut realization of not being able to go back once the process has begun . Franklin 's autobiography gives a very clear feeling that he realizes that if he does not make a way for himself , no one will . This is also one of the Enlightenment themes . Franklin reads Shaftesbury at an early age and learns irony and scepticism from this writer , as well as from his own experiences

There are many more examples that could be analysed in the best of Franklin 's tradition , however , the essay format takes its toll . We can see even from his early age that Franklin is from the...

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