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  • Essay / Essay Comparing Benjamin Franklin and Jonathan Edwards

    Different literary writers have many different opinions about humanity. Many American writers discuss these views. America's most talked about writers spend a lot of time talking about this subject. In this article, we will examine Benjamin Franklin and Jonathan Edwards' views on humanity by examining their personal backgrounds, religious views, and the evidence in their writings. Benjamin Franklin's father, a candle maker, wanted to tithe one of his sons. He chose Franklin, his tenth son. He sent him to train as a clergyman. Because he was not a good student, he was sent back to his father after only two years. At the age of thirteen he was sent to his brother to learn to be a printer. While there, he educated himself by reading various books. He thought his intelligence was limited, so he ran away to start his own printing company. After his retirement, he turned to science and became an inventor. On the other hand, Edwards had a very different background. His father and grandfather were ministers. At the age of thirteen he was sent to Yale Collage, and four years later received a graduate degree in theology. He then served as a pastor in New York for a short time, but returned to Yale College as a tutor. He later married and after two years of marriage his grandfather died and he was chosen to take his grandfather's place in the pulpit. All that said, you can see that Franklin and Edwards lived different lives. We will now examine the religious views of Franklin and Edwards. Franklin believed that spirituality was not a concern. He believed that man was the center of life and not God. He believed that man was fundamentally good and that prudence, hard work, and frugality were what made man good, not the grace of God... middle of paper ...... e, Edwards and Franklin had very different views in their writings. which were very openly expressed. After comparing and contrasting Franklin and Edwards' views on humanity by examining their personal backgrounds, religious views, and the evidence in their writings, it is clear that their views were very different. Franklin's education was based on the philosophy books he read, while Edwards' was based on the study of theology and biblical training. Franklin's religious views were that humanity was fundamentally good, but Edwards's were that man was fundamentally evil. The evidence in Franklin's writings showed that he relied on being morally good without the grace of God, while Edwards understood that the only way for man to become good was through the grace of God. Although both men were very influential and important in history, their views were very different..