Pros And Cons Of Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin is considered one of the key Founding Fathers of the United States as a renowned diplomat that helped build our country’s allyship with France and a civic activist for public institutions. While seen as the original ‘self made man’ of America and the root of the concept know as the ‘American Dream’, others have become critical of Franklin over time. Some believe that while Franklin had good intentions in creating public institutions, that they were primarily made for his own personal gain. Yet when one looks at the moral values of the club Franklin lead and his meticulous tracking of his ideas for individual improvement, it is clear that while Franklin’s scope of betterment may have started with just himself in mind, it

Benjamin Franklin’s desire for self betterment evolved into civic activism only after he began collaborating with other like minded individuals, unifying the ideas of individual improvement and civic engagement to create the concept of ‘American Dream’ and

However, they were also well aware of how the public institutions would help the community as a whole. The When debated the pros and cons of funding a public library w, Franklin wrote, “Advantages proposed were, the improvement of so many more young citizens by the use of our institutions, our better acquaintance with the general sentiments of the inhabitants,” (79). Franklin, like many intellectuals of the time, was fixated on the importance of the America’s youth having both good moral values and a passion for knowledge instilled in them. This justification encouraged those in the Junto club to back the first public institutions. The entirety of the Junto, especially Franklin, firmly believed that the resources of public institutions could help the next generation of intellectuals. They also believed that public institutions that were open to all ages would help bridge the connection between generations, creating a more cohesive intellectual