Franklin Puritan or Enlightenment Essay - 868 Words

Is Franklin a Puritan or Enlightenment Thinker About Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin came from a very simple Calvinist background. Ha dad little formal education, but he made it through his own efforts and became a rare genius in human history. Everything seems to meet in this one man, mind and will, talent and art, strength and ease, wit and grace and he became almost everything: a printer, essayist, scientist, statesman, philosopher, political economist, ambassador, etc.-#161;#176;Jack of all trades#161;#177;. Enlightenment in America Toward the latter part of the 17th century, a complete new view of the universe came into being. With the publication of Newton#161;#175;s #161;#176;Philosophiae Naturalis†¦show more content†¦They thought that religious truth also should be tested by reason. This was a great challenge to the former thoughts. Man#161;#175;s reason and the idea of order became the watchword of the day. Everything fell into some order, like Newton#161;#175;s #161;#176;clock#161;#177; and all had a place in the divine plan. 3. Pursuit of Happiness People with enlightenment thinking turned to pursue the happiness of the present world rather than the salvation in the after world. They showed more interest in the practical subjects in the real world. They thought that the ultimate objective of man#161;#175;s life is the life, liberty and pursuit of life. This kind of thought stimulated an activist individualism which advocated that one should be responsible of his own choice and attempt unalienable Rights. All these ideas were very much in the air in America and no one represented them better than Benjamin Franklin. With Benjamin Franklin as its spokesman, eighteen-century America experienced an age if enlightenment, of reason and order like England and Europe. Puritan Heritage Though Newton#161;#175;s idea was very influential over the minds of the people in the 18th century, the Calvinist beliefs and tenets that man was, since the Fall, basically evil and enslaved by his sense of sin, and that God was all, and would in His mercy and love work for man#161;#175;s salvation, but as for man. All he could do (if ever there was anything he could do)Show MoreRelatedThe Puritan And The Embodiment Of Enlightenment1228 Words   |  5 PagesThe Puritan and the Embodiment of Enlightenment The dichotomy between a Puritan and a Rationalist seems to be very apparent. Despite the differences, the very existence of these two writers showcases the need for dissent to influence, and to always question the status-quo. Anne Bradstreet and Benjamin Franklin give a glimpse of the time period during the creation of their works. Many factors affect their writing: gender and the reason for writing, references to non-Biblical scriptures, and theRead MoreBenjamin Franklin As A Representation Of The Enlightenment1571 Words   |  7 Pages19 October 2015 Benjamin Franklin as a Representation of the Enlightenment The Enlightenment was largely a rational response to the 16th and 17th century Scientific Revolution, as well as major developments in philosophical thinking, such as ideas proposed by Rene Descartes. During the Enlightenment, thinkers emphasize rational and critical ways of thinking, rather than the complete reliance on religion that had been previously accepted. In many ways, Benjamin Franklin was the human embodiment ofRead MoreJohn Smith And Walt Whitman Essay1248 Words   |  5 Pagesnot as an extension of god, but as a way to learn about ourselves and the world. opposition to romanticism. 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