Today is Benjamin Franklin’s birthday. Much has been said about Franklin, and much thoughtful stuff has been written about him. Mark Twain, for example, said that his views on self-discipline makes life tough on young boys (although I don’t remember it having any effect on Tom or Huck!), and Jerry Weinberger thinks he was a deeply serious thinker. I agree. He was also a likeable old man and the older I get the more I like him, and not only for his virtues.
Thanks for the reminder, Peter! Having spent a considerable amount of time and sweat at Penn, and also having been a Revolution afficionado as a young man, I have a special place in my heart for Ben. I wasn’t able to follow your first link, but I loved the advice to be found in the last one!
Fung: Thanks. The first link is to a bio of Franklin and is working.
Among the things that I have always believed about Ben Franklin is that not only were his virtues great and significant, but that his vices were non-destructive. Now, I could be wrong about that, but it always seemed to me that he was a hedonist, but not a malicious one. Unlike our 42nd President, who was also a hedonist, but so self-centered that he could not concieve of the damage he did, Ben Franklin always seemed more mischievious than malicious to me. Call me crazy...
I believe Franklin’s birthday is January 17th. I there disagreement about this of which I’m unaware? But not to worry: Franklin deserves more than a day. Besides, he turns 300 this year!