The Benevolent Benjamin Franklin - Essay Example

Franklin had to learn at an early age to become an independent studier of academics, since books were quite rare and very expensive in this period in history, thus setting the foundation for his motivational prowess found later in life. Because of the aforementioned experiences, and many other exposures to diverse citizens in domestic and international society, Franklin began to understand the importance of virtue, character, integrity and the pursuit of securing the common welfare. Franklin eventually evolved into a highly-benevolent statesman who genuinely believed in the construction of ethical philosophy and the social promotion of self-improvement to better personal character.

THE JOURNEY TOWARD SELF-IMPROVEMENT In Franklin’s autobiography, he continuously refers to situations that occurred throughout his lifetime that lay the foundation for his views on self-improvement, with considerable emphasis about the importance of divinity in establishing this principle. In 1756, Franklin was commissioned to take a leadership role in the construction of fortified structures for the military to ensure protection against growing Indian enemy threat. During these months, involving very difficult labor, Franklin witnessed what he referred to as “contemptible” management policy for workers (Eliot, 140), who had been charged with using axes and shovels to dig trenches and process lumber for fort construction.

Franklin found that when men were gainfully employed, they were more jovial and willing to comply with management and laboring direction. During periods where there was limited work available, these same laborers would argue and complain due to these frustrations. The leadership of the fortification construction projects, rather than recognize laborer needs, would simply provide them with trivial grunt work as a means of satisfying the ongoing complaints. Through these observations, Franklin began to recognize the foundations of human nature and effective management which is more in-line with contemporary leadership philosophy about establishing relationships and providing satisfaction to laborers to improve productivity and commitment.

Franklin seemed to recognize the imperative of searching for opportunities for self-improvement in terms of providing for the social and tangible welfare of others through these experiences. During this construction phase in Franklin’s life, he provides an example of where these realizations became apparent when discussing a lack of commitment by the aforementioned laborers for attending prayer services. Franklin offers to the project chaplain regarding the use of rum provisions as an incentive for regular and timely attendance of these services: "It is, perhaps, below the dignity of your profession to act as steward of the rum, but if you were to deal it out and only just after prayers, you would have them all about you.

" (Eliot, 141). Franklin believed that the volume of promises for incentive-based alcohol was not meeting with expected results for prayer attendance, since men inherently have gluttonous attitudes (this was apparent during periods where laborers were argumentative and dissatisfied). Franklin recognized that men required seeking self-improvement and that it is not always beneficial to provide abundance until the individual has sought emotional intelligence and self-reflection to monitor and control behaviors.

Even though Franklin