Benjamin Franklin: The Man Behind Himself Sara Miner College

Benjamin Franklin has a reputation in American – and around the world – as a self-made man for rising from indentured servitude to become a wealthy, independent man. As a founding father of the United States, Franklin’s independence and industry are valued as having helped create the country we know today. However, there is much more to Franklin’s demeanor than many Americans know. Through his Autobiography, one can learn a plethora of information regarding the character of Franklin. His personal values often conflicted with political ideologies and he constantly referred to moral relativism. His self-perception was occasionally skewed, yet sometimes coincided with others’ perceptions of him. As an international celebrity, it seems Benjamin Franklin considered himself a strong, superior leader to whom moral law did not always apply, yet his morality prevails as one of his strongest legacies. It is possible that, simply through working to become the celebrity of (perhaps false) moral perfection America still celebrates, Benjamin Franklin really is a self-made man, actively working to shape his identity in terms of reputation and morality.

Firstly, Franklin’s own moral ambiguity is at times disturbing. While he later preaches to...