Good Benjamin Franklin And The Enlightenment Essay Example

Establishment

The 18th century that so radically changed the European idea has brought significant changes in the spiritual, intellectual and social life of America. Old ideas, ideals and ambitions were not rejected, but were reconsidered and reformulated in accordance with the scientific and philosophical mind of the time. Development of the continent no longer associated with the search for treasure and an easy life, and not with God's leadership and with the ideas of liberalism and progress, as well as appropriate. Franklin became one of the most significant personalities of the American Enlightenment. The essay is going to discover the main features of the Enlightenment ideas in America and the role of Franklin in it.

American Enlightenment.

It was a new stage in the development of American social and cultural life. It was born in the process of a long confrontation and struggle for independence and national unity. It was the ideological preparation for the war of independence and an early bourgeois revolution. It also eliminated the outdated socio-economic and political institutions, English colonial rule and cleared the way for the development of American capitalism. The position of the American Enlightenment reflected thoughts of the best ideas and minds of the colonies that supported the idea of sovereignty. It was born under the influence of English and French thoughts. It called for the release of individual freedoms and emphasized on an emotional religious experience of the individual. It was a powerful tool of individualism. In political terms, the awakening preceded the desire of America to get out from the British colonial rule.

Benjamin Franklin's influence on the American Enlightenment.

Benjamin Franklin was a symbol of uncompromisingly reorientation of American thought during the Enlightenment. He was a famous American writer, scholar, philosopher, social, politician and diplomat. His numerous works provide a systematic program of improvement of human nature and society. He was one of the authors of the Declaration of independence (1776). He participated in the work of the Constitutional Convention on the Constitution of the United States (1787). He made the most important discovery in the field of electricity. Franklin’s name became a unit of quantity of electricity. He was the author of the theory of shipbuilding. He was elected a member of the English Scholar of the Royal Society, and received for his scientific works a gold medal. Broad social activities of Franklin were inextricably linked to American bourgeois revolution, with the war of the American people for their independence in the 1775-1783 respectively.
The Enlightenment ideas of the intrinsic value of the human identity, which measures by talent and work, have found the living embodiment in his life and work. He was a prominent politician, one of the leaders of the American Revolution, scientist, naturalist, philosopher and perfect historian. A significant place in his works occupied a moral-ethical problem. In the Poor Richard’s Almanack and Autobiography, he formulated the rules of everyday life of a craftsman, merchant and farmer (Franklin and Lemay, 1997). Franklin made fun of idleness, profligacy and glorified hard work, thrift, and prudence. Important features of the new bourgeois individualistic code were non-religious sanctions and hostility of the feudal-aristocratic traditions.
Franklin saw a community development from the idealistic point of view. The main driving force of the historic progress in the spirit of the Enlightenment he considered the improvement of morality and knowledge. However, Franklin was the shrewdest of materialistic views. Franklin basing on natural law doctrine, pointed out the immorality of slavery, but also its economic inefficiency compared to hard workers. Speaking of economic studies as a bourgeois ideologist, Franklin formulated the main law of modern political economy. He was one of the first economists, who approached to the recognition of human labor as a measure of the value of all things. In the pre-revolutionary period in his career, Franklin addressed political issues of national importance. It was the largest contributor to anti-colonialist critics. In his articles, and especially in the work of the "Historical review of the Constitution and Government of Pennsylvania" , written in 1759, he has turned to history for the arguments of the right North American colonies to independence. Franklin rejected providential approach to history and opposed those who were interested only in great events like military history (Jackson and Franklin, 1759). Franklin considered the history of Pennsylvania, primarily in terms of the struggle of colonial assemblies against the oppressive power of the metropolis. This fight was a cynical disregard for the rulers of the colony, for the rule of law and constitutional order and the reluctance of the Pennsylvania residents endure systematic violation of their rights. He supported the right of the North American colonies to liberate from the metropolis. Franklin in his thoughts on the issue applied the theory of contractual origin of supreme power. He underlined that the only link between two countries could have been recognized the power of the British monarch, limited in the colonies by charters. Franklin's work was mainly built from the constitutional perspective, but the American educator, as the biggest connoisseur of political economy, was also looking to economic conditions of life. His works contained a lot of valuable information about the economics of the American colonies, Pennsylvania, finances economic contradictions between England and its American possessions. Franklin particularly intently peered at the economic aspect of the Anglo-American tensions after the seven years of confrontation.
Prominently in the works of Franklin was raised the Indian theme. In "Notes on the Savages of North America" (1784) and other studies based on their own observations, Franklin, based on the experience of many travelers, analyzes various aspects of the welfare of the Indians. He draws sympathy public-political organization of Indian tribes, describing it as democratic, and opposes the so-called savages to their civilized neighbors. Certainly the attitude of Franklin to the Indians was influenced by ideas and beliefs about the natural state of people of the past golden age, typical for many educators.
As it is evident, in terms of further social and cultural development, the ideas of the 18th century meant for America even more than for Europe. It was the age of Enlightenment in all social and cultural fields of life, the great awakening, gaining political and spiritual independence, the birth of the young country, which personified the American nation and made first attempts to create a national literature. Benjamin Franklin was one of the outstanding American progressive thinkers, scientists, statesmen and public figures. As a man of extremely active position, he was an effective diplomat, to enhance the international prestige of the United States. B. Franklin's literary heritage is vast and diverse. All his works have practical orientation and a drive to link education with the lives and needs of Americans that, however, does not deprive them of the depth and the magnitude.

References

Franklin, B., & Lemay, J. (1997). Autobiography, Poor Richard, and later writings: Letters from London, 1757-1775, Paris, 1776-1785, Philadelphia, 1785-1790, Poor Richard's almanack, 1733-1758, the autobiography. New York: Library of America.
Jackson, R., & Franklin, B. (1759). An historical review of the constitution and government of Pennsylvania: From its origin, so far as regards the several points of controversy, which have, from time to time, arisen between the several governors of that province, and their several assemblies : Founded on authentic documents. London: Printed for R. Griffiths.