Introduction
Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, was closely related to the Enlightenment movement in the colonies. American Enlightenment was a product of the intellectual and technological discoveries made in Europe in the 17th century (Brinkley et al. 77). In particular, Enlightenment promoted ideas of rational thought and the power of the human mind. Thinkers, philosophers, and scientists encouraged people to rely on themselves, pursue education, and engage in matters of politics and government. Benjamin Franklin took a rightful place among the most prominent figures of the American Enlightenment by making several vital contributions to the movement.
Discussion
Most importantly, Franklin directly participated in knowledge dissemination as he saw the importance of learning for civic life. In particular, he established the Junto, a discussion society where the members could debate on any subject related to morals, politics, and natural philosophy (Franklin 56). Franklin also wrote and published Poor Richard’s Almanac, which was well-received by the public. Almanacs provided residents of the colonies with medical advice, useful agricultural and navigational information, and practical wisdom (Brinkley et al. 77). Franklin’s publication was entertaining, useful, and popular among the people, selling over 10,000 copies annually (Franklin 88). However, Franklin made his most valuable contribution to knowledge and education in 1749, when he opened the Academy of Philadelphia (109). The Academy quickly grew into an essential public education institution and later became a part of the University of Pennsylvania. As such, Benjamin Franklin established places where generations of Americans could learn and acquire practical knowledge.
Furthermore, Franklin promoted a secular mindset — he celebrated the power of the human mind and was relatively skeptical toward religion, but at the same time, he adhered to the idea of religious tolerance. Franklin “never doubted the existence of Deity” but also thought that religious disputes can make people “unfriendly to one another” (75). Therefore, he advocated for mutual respect between the members of various religious denominations. Franklin followed the principle of religious tolerance during the establishment of the Academy, as he appointed “one of each sect” to Academy trustee positions (109). In this regard, he set an example of tolerance and demonstrated that differences in religious beliefs do not disrupt the common cause.
In addition, Franklin challenged the ethical dominance of religion by presenting his own set of moral values. He created a list of thirteen desirable virtues, which can be perceived as an allusion to the Ten Commandments. According to Franklin, a virtuous person should be calm, honest, and humble, have a strong will, exhibit moderation, and avoid injustice, laziness, and trifling conversations (78). In addition, Franklin described his journey to mastering the virtues and explained in detail how he tracked the progress and faults on his path to spiritual perfection (79). Essentially, he listed the personality traits of an enlightened individual and offered guidance on how one can achieve them.
Conclusion
Finally, Benjamin Franklin was a notable scientist of his time. Franklin did not limit his participation in the Enlightenment movement to public advocacy and spiritual support. He actively engaged in science, published scholarly papers, and set experiments. For instance, Franklin’s kite experiment confirmed the sameness of lightning with electricity, while most scientists of his time believed otherwise (Brinkley et al. 79). In this regard, he directly contributed to scientific discovery, as scholars used Franklin’s research to develop lightning rod, a device that could ground electricity of lightning (Franklin 145). Given these facts, one can claim that Benjamin Franklin contributed to the American Enlightenment as a patron of arts, education, and science, an advocate for religious freedom, a creator of secular life ethics, and a practicing scientist.
Works Cited
Brinkley, Alan, et al. The Unfinished Nation: A Concise History of the American People. 9th ed., McGraw Hill Education, 2018.
Franklin, Benjamin. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. The Pennsylvania State University, 1998.