Means and Manner of Obtaining Virtue (Penguin Classics 60s) by Benjamin Franklin (30-Nov-1995) Paperback

by Benjamin Franklin

One of 60 low-priced classic texts published to celebrate Penguin's 60th anniversary. All the titles are extracts from "Penguin Classics" titles.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, History, Classics

Paperback

First published August 1, 1996

About the author

Benjamin Franklin was a writer, a philosopher, a scientist, a politician, a patriot, a Founding Father, an inventor, and publisher. He helped with the founding of the United States of America and changed the world with his discoveries about electricity. His writings such as Poor Richards' Almanac have provided wisdom for 17 years to the colonies.

Reviews

[A · Rating 4 out of 5]

8/10.

This book, in very short form, captures the essence of the American mind. This American mind seems just the same today as it was in Franklin's time.

Franklin certainly advocates self-improvement, but his materialism is blatant throughout the entire book. He encourages us to be disciplined and self-controlled — but for the end of creating more stable material circumstances. He is concerned with how to best "make it", in the purely American materialist sense of becoming rich and wealthy.

Medieval monks would have scorned his focus on material circumstances, especially his belief that "virtue" is essentially oriented towards that end. The ancient Stoics and Cynics, too, would have laughed at such advice, saying that Franklin is a weakling for not being able to decrease his material desires. They would call him a slave to his material circumstances.

Now, Franklin is not completely obsessed with material circumstances. But one gets the sense that he is a precursor to our modern "productivity" and "self-help" gurus, who tell us how to maximize every ounce of our time in our "side hustle" to make ever more dollar bills. These gurus — like Franklin — seem to think that all self-improvement is not, in fact, good in and of itself, but instead is a means to the end of worldly comfort and advancement. This goes completely against the ancient, Greco-Roman tradition, where the continued exercise of the virtues is held to be completely sufficient for the Good Life.

If we take a look at the modern American university, at the complete lack of reading and learning, the complete pursuance of greater amounts of dollar bills, the complete ignorance of great men and their works — if we take a look at all of this, I believe we can see where Franklin's ideas led to. It was a common refrain of Europeans in the past that Americans were hard-working but crass, diligent but without culture, hard-working but in the manner of an ox. I would certainly agree. Except now the oxen are fed a terrible diet, stabbed with foreign hormones, and force-fed pills from the time of their birth. A nation of sick, demented, zombified oxen: America.

[Jakob De Smaele]

Benjamin wants them dolla bills cuz he can't get no bitches yo

[Sunny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting little book. I didn’t know that Benjy Franklin was a polymath. This mini book version has an interesting chapter where Benjy talks about how to become virtuous. He creates a set of 13 virtues like temperance , silence, frugality, industry, moderation, humility etc. and then goes about accomplishing each one of them a week at a time. Once the first 13 week cycle of over he repeats this again 3 more times which creates a programme or a year. With each case he gives you examples of the types of things you can do to achieve that virtue. Very simple, very regimental but very good I thought none the less. the very last chapter has a section of short sayings some of which I hadn’t head or thought of before which are very good also. Worth a quick read.

[Rodrigo Bacelar · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this book for one and a half pounds in a charming bookstore in Inverness, Scotland, drawn by its tiny size—perfect for my cycling trip—and its amusingly pretentious title. It features three excerpts from the American author’s writings: his early ventures into publishing and politics, a self-help guide (as expected, full of sensible but hardly life-changing advice), and a collection of proverbs that reportedly made him rich. The only one I remember is "There are no Gains, without Pains," marking him as the original gym bro mentor. A brief but engaging read that brightened a dreary day stuck in a northern England dorm.

[Cian Pearce · Rating 2 out of 5]

Three (3) different works are in this book. The first is an extract of the autobiography which as someone uninterested in America I didn't really care about. The second is Franklin's virtues and his attempt to follow and record his progress toward these virtues, this part of the book is the best and quite funny. The final chapter is his 'the way to wealth' which is an outdated and seemingly privileged piece.

[A Reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting snapshot of Old Ben Franklin's thinking, some of which is useful. It's unfortunate that he did not see the need to seek the truth in regards to religion; he would have found it in the Catholic Church.

[Pegasus & Chrysaor · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is basically a self-help book. The reader is frequently reminded of what a good person ought to do, while acknowledging the difficulties that arise from changing one's lifestyle or interactions with the world.

[Tyler Ruprecht · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great means of historical research on Franklin, lesser but still good means of self-improvement.

[John Wise · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe Franklin's work is valuable for historical reasons, but this work will teach you to destroy yourself. Benjamin Franklin's own licentious and indulgent lifestyle showed his own advice didn't work.

What it boils down to is this: you can trust yourself in your pursuit of virtue (as Franklin did). You might grow in virtue, but you'll grow in the worst vice, pride, since you trust yourself and your own abilities.

John Owen's work On Mortification is better. Jesus' obedient life and death and the sanctification of the Spirit, grasped by faith, are our only hope for genuine virtue that lasts longer than this life. If you trust God, and not yourself, you grow in all virtues including humility.

[Dheerapol · Rating 3 out of 5]

สามบทความที่คัดมาจากหนังสือ The Autobiography and Other Writtings by Benjamin Franklin อีกที

Steady Industry and a Prudent Parsimony เล่าเรื่องช่วงวัยรุ่นในการทำงานโรงพิมพ์ เริ่มต้นจากการทำงานกับพี่ชายที่บอสตันจนย้ายไปตั้งโรงพิมพ์ของตัวเองที่ฟิลาเดเฟีย

The Art of Virtue บรรยายหลักแห่ง "คุณงามความดี" ที่ตัวเค้ายึดถือปฎิบัติ

The Way to Wealth หนทางสู่ความมั่งคั่ง ส่วนนี้เป็นแนวความคิดในการทำงาน

รู้จักชื่อเบนจามิน แฟรงคลินจากการเป็นนักวิทยาศาสตร์ เพิ่งรู้ว่าเป็นนักเขียนและนักปรัชญาด้วย

[Dan Cohen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable sampler of 3 pieces that illustrate Franklin’s disarmingly straightforward and yet clever thinking, and written in a generally very amusing style. I really enjoyed reading the first and second pieces - an account of how he got started in business and his bonkers yet charming ideas for self-improvement - while the third was also very good if a little tiresome.

[Russell · Rating 5 out of 5]

In these days of failing democracy even in this country where once again the super rich and fascists have taken over a must read to fight for freedom once again.

[Maason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, how little we have learned.