Impact Of The Enlightenment In Society
The Enlightenment in the 18th century had many serious consequences such as less religious fervor and more of an inclination to a scientific society, yet it was also symbolic of the following years of unity and ambitiousness in the younger generation. The Enlightenment established physical and mental ideas which targeted the younger population through the use of reason and principles to improve human life. Through the introduction of socially moral and unalienable rights, which provided a social, economic, and religious scaffold for communal growth, the youth grew not only as individuals but as an entire society. Throughout Benjamin Franklin's works and associated articles, it is evident that the Enlightenment incorporated archetypes such as being productive and prudent in finance. The Enlightenment influenced the young and ambitious by giving them the tools to continually question and embrace new scientific methods and reasons to improve their day to day life. The younger generation of colonial America embraced the Enlightenment ideals of working hard by being tenacious while remaining virtuous in a society that had begun to emphasize reason and science.
In colonial America, the reality of becoming self-sufficient was jarring due to the gap between the rich and the poor. At first, the New World was imagined to be an environment of exquisite wealth and infinite freedom. However, the differences between the wealthy and the poor became apparent as the margin between them widened as the colonies started to mirror their mother country, Great Britain. The New World was a place of hardship and the overall struggle to survive with humble beginnings. To overcome this disparity one, an idea that was promoted was hard work. In Benjamin Franklin’s Information to Those Who Would Remove he states, “There are few great Proprietors… most people cultivate their Lands, or follow some Handicraft or Merchandise; very few rich enough live idly upon their Rents and Incomes”. He introduces the idea that society is dependent on individual labor which for most, having no previous apprenticeship or labor experience, would prove an obstacle. Franklin conveys to survive one needs to be resourceful in a society where everyone is alone, but, with hard work one can progress and improve one’s standard of living. Also, The New American Magazine states “labor traffic and industry are necessary to all, but …labor and employment is, as it were, the anchor of the mind [which a man without labor would fall] pieces upon the vice of rocks”. The purpose of the New American Magazine’s shows that society requires work to persevere so men will not go disarray and fall under the influence of vice such as drinking, being wasteful or not working at all. Working hard meant one had to be proactive searching for jobs, an apprenticeship or merchandise. Furthermore, one had to be diligent and open-minded when searching for opportunities. Hard working men have the common characteristics of being diligent and being virtuous which was one of the main ideas promoted by the Enlightenment.
While there is no doubt that growing morally, personally, and monetarily is a reward in itself, remaining humble and virtuous provides self-control and excellence in leadership. Franklin and other writers of the 18th century stated that humility required self-control and is directly related to having positive social affiliations. Thirteen Precepts were enumerated by Benjamin Franklin, two of which deal with sincerity and justice. In the Thirteen Precepts in Benjamin Franklin’s Autobiography, Franklin wrote, “Use no hurtful Deceit. Think innocently and justly; and, if you speak; speak accordingly”. Furthermore, he stated, “Wrong none, by doing injuries or omitting the Benefits that are your Duty”. The purpose of Franklin’s writing the Thirteen Precepts was to establish a guideline people, and himself could follow to become social leaders and examples of virtue. He used these guidelines in his daily life to try to become the perfect man even though he never fully reached his goal. Franklin’s social compass predisposed him to be a man of moral conscience and of social uprightness where others may have been envious and prideful.
Andre Judith, a renowned sociologist and philosopher and author of Worldly Virtue Moral Ideals and Contemporary Life, defines virtue as “a matter of having oneself in perspective”. Judith's definition complements Benjamin Franklin’s idea that virtue begins with the individual. His social uprightness allowed him to have a clear mind and make judgments with him disregarding outside confounding variables making him an excellent leader. Therefore, by evidence of his writing, Franklin sought to improve society morally. He understood that the work ethics and standards of the people would follow this moral improvement. Although modern society has progressed significantly concerning technology, it is still beneficial to value morals such as hard work and virtue, which were prevalent in the Enlightenment. Present society suffers from degradation as a result of swerving from Franklin’s ideology. People enjoy prosperity and reap the benefits to an extreme. Similarly, the right things to do are more litigious in nature than grounded morals. This is a lesson that youth would benefit from when considering their futures. Such is the case that general welfare for society is less of a concern Benjamin Franklin incorporated the concept of hard work to emphasize the need for labor to gain respect, monetary funds, and a profession in the future. His idea of hard work and virtue consisted of everyone who wanted to be socially upright and morally correct. Hard work and Virtue can be inferred from Benjamin Franklin’s Autobiography as the speaking of concerns while having respect towards others. As seen in present society, not being virtuous can bring consequences such as public shunning and or humiliation. Although necessary in society, the current era should focus on what being virtuous and hard-working meant initially and should be more proactive and aware of their own body but and of society. Therefore, it can be concluded that Benjamin Franklin’s Enlightenment ideals provide the basis for stability and peace in the community and keep the social organization from crumbling like the empires of old.
As Benjamin Franklin once said “Do you love life? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of.” Benjamin Franklin established in his Autobiography that hard work would bring monetary stability and will bring improvement to their standard of living. He also learned that hard work requires being driven to find a profession. Furthermore as previously stated, Franklin employs the use virtue to show that being a hard worker involves the making of decisions which are mindful of not only the individual but of the entire society.
