Compare And Contrast Franklin And Emerson

Emerson and Franklin both had very similar ideas in regard to human behavior, but they believed in opposing outcomes from following these similar life styles. They both believed that by controlling ones desire and impulsive nature one could better themselves and their purpose in society. However their end results are very contrasting, Emerson is bettering himself for the discovery of knowledge, Franklin is bettering himself to improve his image and his money making ability. They also contrast on many of their fundamental beliefs of what the duty of the individuals role in society is. Franklin gives a process by which every individual can better themselves and the public as a whole. Emerson’s ideas on the other hand revolve around the idea of self discovery and the betterment of ones mind through the acquisition of knowledge leading to the Universal Truth.
Franklin believed that through self restraint and development of ones temperament anyone can achieve a successful life. The process Franklin describes involves cataloging all of the bad habits you do during a period of time and gradually working on reducing each of them to the point where they are almost non existent. However he does note that it is impossible to achieve

perfection but as he puts it “a speckled axe is best” for if he were perfect he would have the inconveniences of other peoples envy and hatred. Franklin also believed that moderation in all things was best to promote a healthy life, this excludes excessive drinking, gambling, and other pleasures. Franklin was also a large promoter of a hard working life-style, which prompted his rise in status and wealth.
Emerson believed that an individual has the responsibility to nurture their minds so as to achieve as much understanding of the Universal Truth. This is done by relying on intuition and nature, with a little bit of reading sprinkled in. Thru relying on ones self instead of the knowledge attained by others you are more likely to achieve your personal truth that is not compromised by the biases of writers. To avoid biases in reading he says that critical reading must be done at all times, to only take in the information from the text. For Emerson the ultimate goal is the acquisition of the Universal truth, which is the truth that connects intuition and the knowledge within nature. This truth is the same for everyone in the world but the path to learning it is different for everyone. Emerson is thoroughly against relying on the help of other writers and philosophers to find this truth and even calls it cowardly.
Franklin and Emerson also contrasted on the basis of religion while they both rejected the institution of the church.

Franklin was a deist and believed that God had no control over our lives and the decisions we make. Emerson believed that God was omnipotent and omnipresent, meaning that God is everywhere and all knowing, but that does not condone that they are all powerful. Emerson also believed that it was unnecessary for people to attend congregation because if God is all knowing then it should not matter where you are as long as you pray and give thanks to God. They both however did not attend congregation regularly later in life; Franklin because he was forced to during childhood, Emerson because he disagreed with the beliefs of the

church.
Both of these men agreed that it was their duty to share this information with the world and to inspire the next generations with their words. They felt they had a duty to pass on the things they had learned and experienced with the world.