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Benjamin Franklin's Essay 'The Way To Wealth'

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Benjamin Franklin’s essay, “The Way to Wealth” represents the age of reason as he tries to advise man to take control of their lives by working hard for what they want. This essay focuses on improving oneself to gain true wealth, wisdom and leisure; all of Ben Franklin’s advice can also be applied to politics as well. While franklin never mentions government outside of its mandated taxes; the ideas he conveyed directly relate to the enlightenment as he advises man to use reason rather than rely on past beliefs. The enlightenment, in the words of Immanuel Kant, “was man’s final coming of age, the emancipation of the human consciousness from an immature state of ignorance and error” and this idea was clearly conveyed throughout Franklins essay. Many before this time were ignorant to the corruptions of the industry and government even though they were unhappy with the times, as they allowed it to control their lives. The scholarly man that Franklin was, tried to open man’s eyes to the reality that in order to see …show more content…

His focus on improvement was exemplified in the essay “The Way to Wealth” as he tries to share his knowledge with the common man so that “a wise economy” and citizens could be produced by “combating pauperism through moralizing self-help doctrines and the gradual codification of an “American” work ethic during the following century.” (Sophus A.

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