Journal #13- Reflection on Franklin Virtue Project

      After looking back on my Franklin Virtue Project, I have realized that I have learned a lot.  It was a great opportunity to learn essential communication skills that are necessary in almost every workplace in the world.   I had to learn to deal with people who were more unreliable and had to pull some of their weight.  This was very frustrating at times, but in the end I was pleased with the results of my project.  At the beginning of the project I was not looking forward to working together in a group.  But, as I continued to work and communicate with my team members, I realized it was not that bad after all.  The key to having a good project was good communication.  At first it was awkward emailing people I did not know, but this also changed to become more comfortable.  Practice really does improve these skills.  This project provided great experience for the real world.
      If and when this project is done again, I would suggest using smaller groups.  It was hard to communicate with everyone because it always seemed like someone did not know what was going on.  By making smaller groups, people from different schools can interact better, and it provides a better opportunity to get to know those from other schools.  Another improvement that could be made is to tie in more information from your teammate’s analysis.   This would allow groups to interact with each other, and allow for observation of other people’s writing styles our age.  This could be best achieved, by having one page instead of individual pages.  It would turn out like a research paper with each section as a part of one piece.  By doing this, students would be introduced to different forms of writing, and unique approaches that they would not normally take.  It would also be a form of constructive criticism that would help everyone.  I think this project provided a great experience for us as students.

Franklin's Virtues Analysis

      Benjamin Franklin is often considered one of the greatest men in the history of America.  He was a successful business man, politician, scientist, writer, and much more.  Early in his life, he chose to put together a system of virtues to live by.  Benjamin Franklin became a better person by implementing his system of virtues because of the religious, physical and psychological impacts of his values.

      To begin, Franklin became a better individual because of the religious impact of his virtues.    Like other Rationalists of his day, Franklin believed in God and morality, but distanced himself from the various religious sects.  This was a result of his study time on Sundays, and the distorted goals of many religious groups.  He stated that “Their aim seeming to be rather to make us Presbyterians than good citizens” (Franklin).  Benjamin Franklin believed living a morally blameless life was an achievement to strive for, and he tried to live up to it himself.  Humility, chastity, and tranquility are three virtues that were directly influenced by Franklin’s more religious side.  The religious impact on Franklin’s system of virtues was one of the biggest factors in making him a better person. 

      Along with religion, implementing these virtues into his life allowed Franklin the benefit of a better physical life.  Cleanliness, temperance, and order are three virtues that were directly related to improving his life physically.  By using these virtues he may have extended the years of his life because of the healthy lifestyle for which it promotes.   “I am now finishing my eighty-fourth year, and probably with it my career in this life; but whatever state of existence I am placed in hereafter, if I retain any memory of what has passed here, I shall with it retain the esteem, respect, and affection, with which I have long been, my dear friend, yours most sincerely" (Bloom).  This quote was stated by Benjamin Franklin nearing his death, and it shows that he was happy with the way he had lived his life. 

      A final impact of Franklin’s thirteen virtues was a psychological one. Individual thinking and problem solving was encouraged was encouraged by the implementation of these virtues.   “ By But while official duty and patriotism gave Franklin occasion to propagate and actualize so many useful and requisite principles, to become the thinker and advocate,—the incarnated common- sense of his country and his time,—there was another sphere of mental activity, another range of sagacious enterprise, in which he expatiated with kindred success. This was the domain of science” (Bloom).   Franklin was able to make many scientific discoveries because of his good habits formed from following his virtues.  Science was his favorite area to work in, which was influenced by the virtues of industry and resolution.  Another psychosocial impact that improved Franklin’s life was the conquering of bad habits.  He stated that “I was often surprised by another; habit took the advantage of inattention; inclination was sometimes too strong for reason” (Franklin).   He understood that orderly thinking and logic was necessary to make the best decisions rather than trust his experience as a human.  

      Benjamin Franklin was able to become a better person by implementing his virtues and following them because of religious, physical, and psychological influences.  Franklin not only became one of the most influential founding fathers, but also a renounced scientist and philosopher.  Without his system of virtues, he would not have become the same man.  Even today, there is still relevance in his implementation of this system.

Bloom, Harold, ed. "The Character of Franklin." Benjamin Franklin, Classic Critical Views. New York: Chelsea House Publishing, 2008. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=&iPin=C C VBF019&SingleRecord=True (accessed October 27, 2012).

Franklin, Benjamin. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.

Journal #12- American Dream

      I believe that the American Dream today is to be successful in every area of life.  This includes jobs, families, and past times.  People aim for a good education to so that they have the chance to be successful.  One problem that we have in our society is linked to this American Dream.  People get so obsessed with getting a prestigious job that they treat people with "worse" jobs as inferior.  People tend to categorize these people as unsuccessful just because they do not have a high paying job.  The truth of this matter is that someone has to have these jobs so we should be thankful for them.
     Our society often tries to convince us that having more and more things will make us happy.  Television, the radio, and stores all seek to take our money in return for things that, most of the time are not needed.  This has become a common happening in our country where we believe we will be happy after we buy something.  This always proves to be false.  We hold jobs to make money for our family, and waste much of it on useless things.
     Being successful in jobs is not the only American Dream.  Success in raising a family is also one.  Parents want to raise their children with good values because it is not too long before they are the ones in charge of America.  Families that get along and support each other tend to be happier than those who do not.  It takes a lot of patience and responsibility to foster these relationships.  Achieving the American Dream is never really possible when you keep chasing material items.  There will always be one more thing to buy or one more thing that your neighbor has better than you.  Real happiness lies in relationships with others and intangible ideas.  Love, truth, and faith are the things that make life worth living and bring true happiness.  The American Dream may seem like such a great thing, but in truth, it is just a distraction from the true meaning of life.

Benjamin Franklin and Rationalism

      Benjamin Franklin was one of the most prolific authors, inventors and statesmen in American history.  His contributions to multiple components of American society led him to be one of the most famous Founding Fathers.  Franklin attributes his accomplishments to having a framework of principles and an organized plan for his daily activities.  Franklin details this framework in his autobiography, The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin.   Both his writing and framework for living are noteworthy examples of the rationalism period in American history, reflecting the teaching of values, emphasis on reason and a belief in a distant God. 

      One of the main tenants of rationalism is the teaching of value.  Franklin is very instructive of his virtues and explains in great detail how he attempts to live by them.  He made a list of these virtues that he describes as necessary and described the ways that he was attempting to conform to them.  He made it apparent that it was a learning experience, because he did not succeed even with full concentration.  “I was surpris’d to find myself so much fuller of faults than I had imagined; but had the satisfaction of seeing them diminish” (Franklin 88). The list of virtues he was working on included temperance, silence, order, and humility just to name a few.  His writings of these virtues and dedication to following them, demonstrates the idea of instructive values in rationalism.  Franklin used his knowledge to instruct both himself and the reader how to live by pure virtues.  

      Rationalism also places much emphasis on reason opposed to experience.  Benjamin Franklin also supports this idea in his autobiography.  He uses an orderly thinking pattern to try to live by the virtues he set for himself.  Franklin uses logic when he explains the interrelatedness of the virtues, how development of one aids in the development of another.  Franklin focuses on one virtue each week, rather than trying to become perfect in his first try.  He stated that “I was often surprised by another; habit took the advantage of inattention; inclination was sometimes too strong for reason” (Franklin 82).   He understood that orderly thinking and logic was necessary to make the best decisions rather than trust his experience as a human.   

      Like other Rationalists of his day, Franklin believed in God and morality, but distanced himself from the various religious sects.  This was a result of his study time on Sundays, and the distorted goals of many religious groups.  He stated that “Their aim seeming to be rather to make us Presbyterians than good citizens” (Franklin 82).  Benjamin Franklin believed living a morally blameless life was an achievement to strive for, and he tried to live up to it himself. By not taking a specific religious sect, he hoped it “might be serviceable to people in all religions, and intending some time or other to publish it, I would not have any thing in it that should prejudice any one, of any sect, against it” (Franklin 90). 

      Benjamin Franklin reflected the Rationalism period as seen through his autobiography.  His clear focus on virtues, emphasis on logic and reason, and strong sense of morality came out clearly in his life as well as in his writings.  This strong focus on virtues and daily organization allowed him to achieve much more than the average man.   His influence was a precursor to the concept of goal-setting and objectives that people set and strive for today.

Franklin, Benjamin. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.