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Ben Franklin’s 13 Virtues, Human Nature, and Our need for a Savior

Benjamin Franklin, a true renaissance man, is one of the greatest figures in American history.  His pragmatic style, industrious nature, and wild imagination combined to form a character that seemed customized for the founding of our great nation.  What that single man accomplished in the span of one lifetime, and the combined good he did for humanity is awe inspiring.  Among many other things he was the inventor of the lightning rod, signer of the Declaration of Independence, and organizer of the first hospitals and fire houses on the new continent.

He seemed the perfect man, at the perfect place, at the perfect time.  But alas, ole’ Ben himself would tell you he was far from perfect.  In fact, he could tell you exactly how far from perfect he actually was.  How?  He measured it.  That’s right, in early adulthood Franklin set out on a journey to achieve moral perfection.

He wrote in his autobiography later in life:

“It was about this time I conceiv'd the bold and arduous project of arriving at moral perfection. I wish'd to live without committing any fault at any time; I would conquer all that either natural inclination, custom, or company might lead me into.”

Franklin determined to accomplish this task by outlining 13 virtues which he would measure himself against on a daily basis.

Those 13 virtues were:

1. TEMPERANCE. Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.
2. SILENCE. Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.
3. ORDER. Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.
4. RESOLUTION. Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.
5. FRUGALITY. Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing.
6. INDUSTRY. Lose no time; be always employ'd in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.
7. SINCERITY. Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly.
8. JUSTICE. Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.
9. MODERATION. Avoid extreams; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.
10. CLEANLINESS. Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, cloaths, or habitation.
11. TRANQUILLITY. Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.
12. CHASTITY. Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dulness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another's peace or reputation.
13. HUMILITY. Imitate Jesus and Socrates.

The following was his strategy:

“My intention being to acquire the habitude of all these virtues, I judg'd it would be well not to distract my attention by attempting the whole at once, but to fix it on one of them at a time; and, when I should be master of that, then to proceed to another, and so on, till I should have gone thro' the thirteen….”

“I made a little book, in which I allotted a page for each of the virtues….marking the beginning of each line with the first letter of one of the virtues, on which line, and in its proper column, I might mark, by a little black spot, every fault I found upon examination to have been committed respecting that virtue upon that day.”

So, Franklin’s goal was to conquer these virtues one at a time until he had them all whipped and thus obtaining moral perfection.

Did he achieve his goal?

He stated:

“…I soon found I had undertaken a task of more difficulty than I had imagined. While my care was employ'd in guarding against one fault, I was often surprised by another; habit took the advantage of inattention; inclination was sometimes too strong for reason.”

“I was surpris'd to find myself so much fuller of faults than I had imagined….To avoid the trouble of renewing now and then my little book, which, by scraping out the marks on the paper of old faults to make room for new ones in a new course, became full of holes.”

So here we have Benjamin Franklin, one of the predominant figures of the enlightenment period, renowned for his self-mastery, who despite his best efforts to be righteous, made so many mistakes that the book he used to track them was worn out in no time.

All our Books are full of tiny Black Spots

Franklin’s little project in personal development demonstrates that regardless of how hard one tries, no human being can achieve moral perfection alone…..at least I haven’t met one!  He assumed that more focused energy would allow him to achieve his goal, but alas, to his great surprise he found this was not the case.  The model of success he had employed in every other aspect of his life let him down.  He set out to conquer his human nature and instead found himself with his own shoulders pinned to the ground.  The great man could tame the lightning from the sky but could not control his own selfish desires.

Are we any different from Franklin in that regard?  I certainly would not want to see a record of my mistakes….pages and pages of tiny black marks.

Christ can mend the Worn Out Pages of Our Lives

Interestingly, after the pages of Franklin’s book became worn he made a slight adjustment that is very profound:

“I transferr'd my tables and precepts to the ivory leaves of a memorandum book….which marks I could easily wipe out with a wet sponge.”

Jesus Christ is our wet sponge.  He came to this earth to wipe away the black marks on the ivory pages of our lives.  He can mend us and wants this more than anything else.  He can compensate for our shortcomings.  We know we cannot do it alone, but through the grace that He offers us we can become all that we were created to be.

Franklin’s discovery cuts to the heart of Christianity.  How have you seen yourself fall short in your life?