Summary/Commentary: I think I'm ready for a break from these. I've got a rant to whine about how much I dislike Metroid: Dread that I could do in a day or two. I've got one or two bosses left, and I want to make sure I'm all the way done before I complain about it.
Until then, short Ben Franklin!
It's just him saying that he didn't do the entire revolution by himself. Also, put Congress in Roman clothes. Good on you for staying humble (most of the time), Ben Franklin.
WHERE IS MY FIFE AND DRUM CARELESS WHISPER COVER!?
Summary: Life is short: Try to be a good person and get laid.
Commentary: I'm not sure why I started with the Wikisource list for Franklin instead of any others. I've started to grab from other places now, but it'll make it harder to stay organized. I assume I'll want to more onto something else well before I run out of everything he ever wrote, though.
" You know I understand all the inferior animal tongues. My too great application to the study of them is the best excuse I can give for the little progress I have made in your charming language."
I was going to put a gif here, but no gif, no matter how perfectly looped, can be a smoooooth as Ben Franklin.
"in hopes it will likewise amuse her to whom I am so much indebted for the most pleasing of all amusements, her delicious company and heavenly harmony."
Ben Franklin's pimpery aside, I think he presents a compelling (but short) definition of a life well lived:
To me, after all my eager pursuits, no solid pleasures now remain but the reflection of a long life spent in meaning well, the sensible conversation of a few good lady ephemeræ, and now and then a kind smile and a tune from the ever amiable Brillante.
I like that the emphasis here is on the intent, which you can control, rather than a long chain effect, which you can't. You might build a kickass library and have it get burned down by Nazis or hit by a meteor give years after you die. But only you get to decide you tried to be a good person. Hoping to see more in depth writing on this as I read more of his stuff.
Summary: Ben Franklin tries to talk his way out of being canceled.
Commentary: I stopped doing ratings, because it didn't feel particularly necessary or helpful. This one would probably rate a solid 4 though. It's a fun read, but pretty thoughtful on the morals of printing, which is something that sees a lot of argument today. Ben seems to support printing anything that he doesn't think directly leads to (personal or societal) harm, and shares an anecdote about pissing people off because he printed a vaguely offensive ad.
Summary: Ben wants to establish a bunch of committees for helping the Free Blacks
Commentary: This feels condescending to me. We should establish a committee to do this, advise them according to that, etc., etc.
Obviously recently emancipated people and their kids will need some kind of support, but this feels more like, "we're going to do x, y, and z for them, because they can't." rather than supporting them in doing x, y, and z.
"THE business relative to Free Blacks, shall be transacted by a committee of twenty-four persons" (some of whom should probably be Free Blacks?)
"A committee of Inspection, who shall superintend the morals, general conduct, and ordinary situation of the Free Negroes, and afford them advice and instruction; protection from wrongs; and other friendly offices." (That sounds like three steps, tops, above slavery.)
"A committee of Guardians, who shall place out children and young people with suitable persons, that they may (during a moderate time of apprenticeship, or servitude) learn some trade or other business of subsistence." (We're now down to two steps.)
"They shall also procure, and preserve a regular record of the marriages, births, and manumissions of all Free Blacks." (This would be a great job to give an actual Free Black, instead of a rando committee.)
"they will also provide, that such as indicate proper talents, may learn various trades, which may be done by prevailing upon them to bind themselves for such a term of years, as shall compensate their masters for the expense and trouble of instruction, and maintenance." (This is basically how apprenticeship works at the time, but doesn't seem like something you'd want right after getting freed.)
I picked this one since it was one of the more average letters, but also touches back on a few of the themes that're common across BF's writings that I've looked at and will continue on with later.
Ben is still hoping the Frev will end well, he got a Christmas card?, congress was going well. Trade imbalance is a thing (ALWAYS!) Hopefully the end of slavery goes well (after some reasonably time of service), writing isn't going as quick as he'd like, same ol', same ol'.
Summary: Did you ever think that you might be wrong?
Commentary:
I'll do two split chunk pull things tonight:
Most men, indeed, as well as most sects in religion, think themselves in possession of all truth, and that wherever others differ from them, it is so far error.
[...]
I cannot help expressing a wish that every member of the convention who may still have objections to it, would, with me, on this occasion, doubt a little of his own infallibility.
I've covered a few other chunks along these lines in 15MAD (I think it was "Federalist 2"). Unless you're really, really, really, sure (like, 2+2=4 levels of sure) always remember you could be wrong. Don't let it paralyze you, but be aware of the possiblity.
And another on the failure of government:
I believe, further, that this is likely to be well administered for a course of years, and can only end in despotism, as other forms have done before it, when the people shall become so corrupted as to need despotic government, being incapable of any other.
[...]
Much of the strength and efficiency of any government, in procuring and securing happiness to the people, depends on opinion, on the general opinion of the goodness of that government, as well as of the wisdom and integrity of its governors.
That's pretty much what we're seeing today. Our legislative branch has become so ineffective, and people have become so distrustful of our government, that we get stuck with the so called "imperial presidency." Imperial and despotic are pretty much synonyms here.
Playing as Ben Franklin is about the only good thing in this game.
Summary: Thanks for your letter, gout sucks, I hope France works out.
Commentary: It's late, so shorty today. It's interesting to read another perspective on the French Revolution. I think there was an Edmond Burke piece on it in 15MAD. This one is more balanced. I think Franklin's more or less accurate here to my understanding here. The Revolution itself was a disaster, but in the end France emerged as a relatively strong and free republic.
Summary: Even if religion is false, the benefits out way the harms
Commentary: This is a pretty short piece, but I feel like there's a lot to unpack. Written by Franklin to an unknown person about an unknown manuscript, the original piece is "against the Doctrine of a particular Providence, tho’ you allow a general Providence." Which "strikes at the foundation of all religion."
Franklin is against this for several reasons. The first is that he thinks it'll come back to bite the author. He doesn't address whether the author is right or wrong, but simply that it'll bring a lot of negative attention and fail to convince many people. This is kind of interesting for a guy who lead a revolution against the world's leading empire at the time.
To me, the strength of this argument depends, in large part, on how the piece is published. If you wrote it anonymously or pseudonymously, it'd probably be fine. You'd convince who you convinced, some people would be mad, that'd be the end of it. I'm not sure how hard that was to do at the time, but it seems possible.
You yourself may find it easy to live a virtuous Life without the Assistance afforded by Religion; you having a clear Perception of the Advantages of Virtue and the Disadvantages of Vice, and possessing a Strength of Resolution sufficient to enable you to resist common Temptations. But think how great a Proportion of Mankind consists of weak and ignorant Men and Women
Basically, religion is helpful for keeping the morons honest. Again, a couple different things come to mind here:
1. How "weak and ignorant" is the average person, and how much control do they have over that? While I was reading all the Great Books stuff last month, Adler and Hutchinson contended that we can't know if most people can get a LIBERAL EDUCATION since we haven't tried giving one to most people. On the other hand, we've tried giving most people a whatever the current public school education is, and the majority fall short. That leads to further questions about why that is. Could they have made it there with better teachers, better materials, smaller classes, whatever? Were they doomed from the start because they came from crappy homes, were malnourished, etc.? Are some people just morons no matter what you do? The reality is, for most of history, most people weren't really in charge of their lives. We've (supposedly) spent the hundreds of years moving away from that, and a lot of people still can barely manage to get up, go to work, and take care of their lives. But, again, why?
2. To what extent do the ends justify the means? If religion made the ~60% unwashed masses better, does that justify a giant society wide conspiracy. I feel like that's a pretty flat no. (Not having read the original manuscript, this and the next point might be where the general vs specific providence plays out.)
3. If you were going to enact said society wide program, is there room for acknowledging that the religion/religion-substitute isn't 100% true, while having it still be effective? Can we put together a culture wide story of how to be a good person without the hellfire and everything else? That's sort of what Aesop's Fables are, among other things. Do you need the magic torture component for them to take hold at a societal level? (I feel like the answer is no, but then you need commissars or something, since most of the large scale non-religious examples I can think of are from China, etc.)
I think I used this before, but do me a favor and forgive me.
Summary: 1. If you have someone you help help others, you can help many people for little investment. 2. If you want people to like you, as for a small favor.
Commentary: In regards to #2, I've always thought that part of the effect is that the person asking is then more willing to work with the person that helped them. I think a lot of us our shy to approach someone, ask for a first favor, etc. That first one breaks the ice.
Commentary: "there was never a great Man that was not an industrious Man, and I believe that there never was a good Man that was a lazy Man."
I've written about this several times before. One of the major themes I see running through THE CLASSICS is the idea that you just need to step up and do good work. Find the productive things that appeal to you, do them, and help people, and you'll be 90% of the way there to living a good life.
Commentary: As established, I don't care for these dialogues. I figured if anyone could do an interesting one, it'd be Ben Franklin. It's better than most, but in the end it falls into the same issue that most of them do. One character (Ben) is so dumb and docile as to be pointless, and the other (Gout) is such a know-it-all. I think I'd rather just read "Gout's Essay (or letter) to Franklin" than deal with the Franklin parts.
