Question

In The Autobiography, what does Franklin do once he has written down his list of virtues?

Answer 1

Benjamin Franklin started writing his autobiography in 1771; in what was still British America. He had to interrupt its writing during the American Revolution. The part that deals with the virtues is part of Part Two of his autobiography, which was written in 1784, after the Revolution, when the United States had won their independence from the British Empire.

Franklin was then living in Paris, France, and serving as the US Ambassador (Commissioner) to France. He decided to achieve “moral perfection” and made a list of thirteen virtues. He started listing each daily transgression to each virtue and came to the conclusion that he had the most problem with mastering the virtue of Order. Very philosophically, he acknowledged that he would never achieve perfection but that what mattered was the attempt and the inevitable overall improvement.

Answer 2

He devises a system for practicing a single virtue every week