Reflection Blog: Ben Franklin's Autobigography

Ben Franklin's autobiography was very interesting to read. It was not really what I expected. He follows a lot of deism rules and concepts in his work. He is one of the most famous deists in history too.

In his autobiography, it first talks about him setting up a library. He works very hard to establish this library and for people to get more involved in books. His love for books is overwhelming. He reads a lot and on Sundays he studies instead of going to worship. Even the preacher wants him to start coming to worship, but he believes that the points made in the sermon are not right, so he continues his studies instead of attending worships on Sundays (Franklin 146). One aspect of deism is that people who believe in deism do not feel the need to going to worship every day, or on Sundays, because God is present in daily life and there is no need to worship him in the church when he created the world we live in (Beyer, Catherine). Deists believe that God does not need to be communicated with through prayer, but by studying the world in which he created (Beyer, Catherine). Ben Franklin had his own personal prayer that he used for his own personal use, but he did not attend the worship because he studied on Sundays (Franklin 144). His first virtue, "temperance" to me is all about control. I think the underlying theme is you have the power to control your life. He had the control on whether or not he attended church on Sundays and whether or not he prayed. Temperance was all about keeping the mind clear, so logical decisions could be made (Franklin 149). The second virtue, "Silence" is all about knowing when to speak and when to keep quiet (Franklin 149). The deists were not afraid to speak their mind, mainly because they were logical thinkers and they could persuade people to believe them. The third virtue, "Order" is all about letting things occur natural and to let the order of life happen (Franklin 149). The fourth virtue, "Resolution" is about finish what you start, and striving to start something new (Franklin 149). The fifth virtue, "Frugality" is saying not to waste time and spend time helping others (Franklin 149). The sixth virtue, "Industry" is about using your time wisely, but also in something that you love and can help others (Franklin 149). The seventh virtue, "Sincerity" is basically saying treat others how you want to be treated because comments can hurt (Franklin 149). The eight virtue, "Justice" is about doing nothing wrong, and if you do, than admit to it (Franklin 150). The ninth virtue, "Moderation" is basically saying do not be greedy (Franklin 150). The tenth virtue, "Cleanliness" is all about having good hygiene (Franklin 150). The eleventh virtue, "Tranquility" is about not letting the little things bother you (Franklin 150). The twelfth virtue, "Chasity" is self explanatory, but all people have their different views (Franklin 150). The final virtue, " Humility" is basically to mock or imitate Jesus (Franklin 150). These all represent deism because each virtue has a logical reasoning, where as the Puritans give everything to God. God did not create the virtues, so he has no control in this aspect. The deists believe that they can choose to follow the virtues or not, but either way God was not a part.

Beyer, Catherine. "Deism - What Is Deism? - Beliefs of Deists." Alternative Religions. About.com. Web. 26 Oct. 2011. <http://altreligion.about.com/od/alternativereligionsaz/p/Deism.htm>.


Tipton, Brutus C. "Deism: A New Beginning." Welcome To The Deism Site! World Union of Deists. Web. 26 Oct. 2011. <http://www.deism.com/deismbeginning.htm>